my collide magazine column

For those of you who are new to my blog, you might not know this: I’m a writer. I write books mostly. But once in a while, I also write columns or essays for a magazine or two. The following is a silly little column about “blogs” that I wrote for Collide Magazine.

A Mixed Tape: These Are A Few of My Favorite Blogs

I’m one of those people who love reading blogs. That’s the truth. Few things excite me more than finding a new URL to pique my interest a couple times a week. My affection for the blogosphere began when I started blogging in 2006. Today, reading the opinions, stories, nonsensical humor, and spiritual journeys of random people, celebrities, pastors, and friends is an avid part of my morning routine, like watching The Today Show or popping Zantac.

As you might know, a lot of content on blogs is hit or miss. But I think that’s especially true for those of us who publish posts that focus on the various aspects of Jesus, faith, church, and theology. We Christians aren’t the most interesting people on the planet. Sometimes reading a Christian’s daily thoughts about God is about as enjoyable as reading Leviticus on vacation. You know it’s true. I’ve long believed that blogs are sort of like opinions: You probably have one, and more than likely, it stinks.

But among the millions of blogs from Christians like you and me, I have discovered a select few that are actually worthy of being bookmarked. That’s true for British theologian Peter Rollins’ online pontifications. While some of the author’s readership think he’s little more than a controversial blowhard who wouldn’t know Jesus if he was sticking his fingers through the holes in his hands, the majority of Rollins’ readers think his views about the kingdom of God bring much-needed magic to their stale evangelical/emergent worlds. Sure, his blog might tick you off, but I tend to think every good blog should.

Adding a little controversy when blogging always makes for a more interesting read, and Christian sex guru Robert Irwin integrates a little provocative flare into his daily ramblings with near perfection. Even the most open-minded believer might blush while reading some of Irwin’s more arousing posts. But the author knows what he’s talking about when it comes to sex, so most of the time you’ll learn a thing or two.

Many of my favorite blogs are those of experts. Whether I’m reading Seth Godin’s marketing advice, Brett McCracken’s opinions about movies and culture, Chip MacGregor’s entertaining journals about how to break into the publishing world or Maggi Dawn’s reflections about Jesus and the spiritual journey, the best (and most successful) bloggers always build their content around the topic they know the most about.

For most bloggers, “me” tends to be their expertise. And as you probably know, “me” sells in certain instances. Somebody’s personal blog can sometimes be very interesting, like standing outside somebody’s bedroom window and peeking through the curtains. Bloggers who cyber flash their readers don’t have to be famous or even decent writers; they just have to be willing to share too much information on a regular basis. Which is what we blog readers live for! “Too much information” is like crack cocaine to the Internet stalker in all of us. I love following the Hollywood-esque lifestyle of photographer Jeremy Cowart, the daily antics of writer Anne Jackson, and the oddities and thoughts of my pastor Pete Wilson. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never met any of Jason Boyett’s children; I still want to know how their birthday parties went. And just because I haven’t listened to my Shaun Groves albums since 2002, that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in what’s currently got him excited or irritated about the world. Even my wife’s scrapbooking blog woos me from time to time.

So whether you’re well-known and have a lot to say like Brian McLaren or a “nobody” who attends seminary like Joshua Longbrake, if you’ve got something interesting to say, I’m more than willing to spend a few minutes of my morning reading your blog. Heck, if I really like it, I might add your URL to my personal blogroll or sign up for your RSS feed. Which of course means your blog doesn’t stink! Though your opinions still might.

So, what are a few of your favorite blogs?

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