I hope that blogging about my experience will encourage others to think about their own, especially if they do not find themselves with the time or freedom to do something similar. Because of this, I will not be sharing the specifics of my town or the names of the specific churches I visit. It can be too easy to dismiss other’s experiences with simplistic generalizations:
- “Well that’s because he lives in the Bible belt.”
- “Of course. All the Southern states are that way…”
- “That has to be Cincinnati. Have you ever been to Cincinnati? Pretty sure I know exactly what neighborhood he’s talking about. That’s why we left.”
I know that I am going to be stretched with this exercise and I am putting myself in a position to challenge my preconceptions about my neighbors and learn more about them. I think readers of this blog could also benefit by picturing their own cities, towns and nearby churches when they read about the experiences in mine.
Where am I? Anytown, America, right next door to you.
