"FIRST - DO NO HARM"

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." (I Corinthians 10:23)

Most of you know I've been on a month's "sabbatical leave" in southwest Missouri. I went on this sabbatical (somewhat) under duress. I thought that I really didn't need it, and that it might even be a waste of time. I was VERY WRONG about that. Right now, I'm still in Missouri on my sabbatical. I am scheduled to be back in my office in Framingham, Massachusetts on Wednesday, May 13. Much of what has happened during this month in Missouri is very private. There's a lot that I really should NOT publicly share. There IS a matter concerning this blog, however, which I must address.

I don't want to explain exactly how this happened, but God communicated something very important to me concerning what I write on this blog. Over the past three years that I've had the blog (originally on the old AOL Journals and more recently on blogspot) I have experienced a tension between whether I should strictly write Biblical and inspirational pieces or whether it's O.K. for me to write secular pieces, opinion pieces, and even pieces in which I express disappointment, frustration, criticism, anger, etc. I've gotten much conflicting feedback about this, and it is a matter I've raised for discussion a few times on the blog.

I understand that part of the oath which physicians take says something like, "First - Do No Harm". I now need to apply that "First - Do No Harm" rule to my blog. Some of you will continue to be disappointed because in fact I still don't believe it's wrong for me to write secular pieces or to write opinion pieces. I plan to continue to write a number of those. I will not, however, write any more pieces which deliberately make statements that are hurtful and/or confusing. I would guess that close to 25% of the blog pieces I've written in the past have contained hurtful or confusing material. I am SO sorry and SO ashamed about that. I considered going back through all of my blog entries from 2006 to the present and deleting any which DO contain hurtful or confusing material. I decided such a project would take SO much time and effort that it would be counterproductive. I also COULD simply end this blog and start a new one with a different name. I'm not going to do that, either. Instead, I have decided to turn all this into a "teachable moment". I have decided to openly openly admit that I've messed up, but to leave those entries in cyberspace as they are. In addition, I've decided to proclaim that when we acknowledge mistakes, sins, and failures, we can then repent, be forgiven, grow, and move on. That's what I aim to do - move on!

I am glad for the 75% of my postings which have been interesting, informative, and edifying. For those of you who have been hurt and/or confused by the 25% which were not so good, I am deeply sorry and I ask you to please forgive me.