When I decided to share some of my journalling, I naively did not recognise that I was entering into what is almost “a genre” – dictionary defined as “a style of literature”. There are dozens of them on line, with quite a few of them using the word “journal” in their title. As with everything on the net, they vary with respect to quality. My first reaction to reading them was to change my plans on the basis of “enough is enough!”
A little more thought, however, had me return to the original plan, with a few changes.
(1) One needs to be selective in what one publishes. I remembered a cartoon about face book entries where a man is seated at his desk saying “Well, I’ve told them all I had for breakfast. What else shall I tell them?” At the door is his wife with a suitcase in her hand. “Tell them I’m leaving!” I decided to publish only one journal entry each week. Surely, I could find one thing of relevance in seven days of journaling!
(2) Some of the sites are littered with advertisements, some of which were ludicrous as far that which the person was writing about. A “no adverts “ website is essential!
(3) Much of the “religious” journalling is simplistic and fundamentalist in nature. I was reminded again of Keith Rowe’s great words “We need to re-think christian belief in the light of insights and understanding not available to earlier generations.” The concept of a three tiered world with Jesus descending into hell and rising into heaven is unacceptable today. The idea of us floating off the heaven to join other “souls” awaiting our arrival is ludicrous. It remains true, however, that “the contemplation of death is the key to authentic existence” remain true as do the words attributed to Jesus “I am about life in all its fullness”. The fact that the last recorded word of Jesus from the cross was “Tetelestai!” is also significant. It translates as “It is accomplished!”
Any wonder that I find myself fascinated by the finish line just ahead.