Glory to God for All Things is nearing the publication of its 2,000th article. The total amazes me, and simply speaks for how things add up over time. I certainly did not set out to write in such volume (although I think I published two articles the first day). I simply set out to write.
I did not then, nor do I now, have a great sense of mission in my writing. I have noted from time to time that we are not commanded to change the world. Thinking that we have any mastery over history is modern arrogance in the extreme. I might add that anyone engaging in the ephemera of the internet should not indulge themselves in any such imaginings. I set out to write.
In hindsight, I understand now that I write in order to think, sometimes to pray. When I write, the ideas seem to take shape and gain some semblance of coherence. Apart from the text, I battle the distractions of an ADD-addled brain. Writing is something of a necessity.
The most pleasant surprise over time is that my writing is read by others and that sometimes they find it of use. Again, it is impossible to fix people, or even to make them better. That something is of use is a gift of grace, and so one can only give thanks. But more than being read, the writing has become a conversation, one that has now lasted for about 10 years. The first article appeared on October 19, 2006. The conversation now includes over 55,000 comments, of which about 4,200 are mine (and that seems strangely low).
Over time, the articles have gotten longer. Certain ideas and themes have become noticeably common. Astonishingly, articles have been translated into Russian, Greek, Macedonian, Serbian, Romanian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Latvian, Finnish, and perhaps others (those are just the ones I remember being told about).
I have been asked from time to time how do I find time to do the blog. It is, I confess, simply a function of my ADD. The nature of attention deficit is that you can do many things, but only for short times (then the distraction forces you to stop – not stopping literally becomes quite painful). And so, I write as a distraction, in between this, that, and the other thing. This same reality makes the production of books (long promised) extremely difficult. It will only happen through your prayers! Fortunately, blogging seems ideally suited to my handicap. God is wonderfully merciful.
The community of comments has also created a community of friends. When I travel and speak I am constantly greeted by readers, and all of you feel familiar. We have shared something. I am grateful beyond my ability to express for the kindness of so many over the years. The community has also been something of an extension of my parish, or so it seems. During the years I’ve been writing, I have buried a mother, a father, and a grandchild. Others have shared their own struggles. The prayers that have been offered are a sweet-smelling fragrance before God.
Thank you for your many kind words and prayers. Glory to God for all things!
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