Why Blog?

Well, I have finally started. I do not have any idea who will read this, but I have a sense that maybe I can begin to take part in a conversation on life and spirituality that is going on all around the world. Tallskinnykiwi, otherwise known as Andrew Jones, was the first blogger (web logger) that I ran into and he is still the most influential to me. That is probably because I know him personally, having met him and his wife Debbie when I lived in San Francisco a few years ago. I hope to spend a lot of time talking about life, culture, the way historical forces shape the present and the future, and where we are headed in the church, which is an area that is pretty important to me.


I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and because of that, I tend to think about things in a way that tries to be consistent with his life and teachings. I am, like everyone else who calls themselves 'Christian', in process, or on a journey to knowing Jesus more and having my life be shaped by him more and more everyday. Sometimes this happens in indiscernable ways, but he is always active, always moving, always leading, always there. That is why I chose the name Downshoredrift for this blog. Downshoredrift is the phenomenon that takes place when you are at the beach and you are out in the water floating in front of your umbrella and blanket. You think you are in the same place and you look up and realize that you have floated way down the beach without realizing you were moving. That is because the waves crash into the shore in a straight line, but come off the shore diagonally, pushing you up the beach further and further with each crashing wave. I think that those of us who are following Jesus have the same experience. The events of life crash against the shore and we think that we are staying put, or moving backwards, but all along, God's hand leads us closer and closer to Him. Well, I hope to chronicle that, in a sense, and help others see His hand in their own lives, the church, and the world around us. Let's see how far up the shore God takes us . . .