Encouragement

It is a good thing to share a word of joy, thanks, a smile, or an acknowledgement – that sort of thing encourages me in my writing. All I am doing is some opining. I love the open discussion forums in the newspapers these days. More people share their reactions – and it is not edited by an opinionator. In the days before internet, net-versions of newspapers, I sent in some letters to the editor, but was never accepted. My views were not politically correct. It is not that I thrive on going against the grains, but since my fundamental views are formed by reflections on my being as a Christian, I naturally think differently. I live and learn; I grow in faith, but I also stumble along – and I admit that I am not always right (well, I only see this in retrospection) – but I enjoy the freedom of speech. No longer do I feel suppressed by a monopoly of opinions, all directed by a rather leftist perspective.

I was encouraged today. A lady called and shared her joy over something I had said in a radio program. I had encouraged her, and now she called to share her joy – and she encouraged me. I sensed a wonderful, gentle and God-loving soul on the telephone. Personally I had not made myself listen to the radio-program, because I was embarrassed to hear my own voice. I would probably listen for all my goofs and mistakes; thought about how I could have been clearer, how I fumbled along and lost my thread –so I did not listen. But she did, and it made her day filled with joy. J

I opined about something in the newspaper Dagen – just a small thought, really, about why the bishops thought there was a need to sacrifice truth for the sake of ‘unity’ in the organization of the Norwegian folk church. I wondered if it was because of money and comfort -? I did not want to believe it was; but since there is no real argument for the ‘unity’ theologically, I pondered more worldly options. Clergy is paid by the state, and they are paid reasonably well. And if you were to reject the pro-gay wedding ritual being accepted as part of the official church teachings, then a consequence might be to abdicate your position.

Anyway – somebody commented right away. And the comment was an encouragement. He liked the way I posed questions. I sensed that he was chuckling a little as he wrote. It was a friendly remark. He liked the way I prodded into things without coming with the ‘correct’ answer, but let the questions linger – and the readers would be stimulated to their own opining J   

I was much encouraged. I am a teacher by profession; I am a teacher at heart. Stimulating to reflection is part of what I do.