Psych!

Well, not exactly.

About a month ago I published “Final Post” which stated I was probably done blogging. I wrote that post while wrestling with a host of issues that was creating within me a very nihilistic attitude toward life and my work on the blog. Simply put, I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But since then I’ve been able to gain some perspective and those issues, though largely unresolved, appear far less daunting than before.

I love to write. I love explaining things. I love reading and researching. I love talking about biblical texts. I love taking on poor apologetics that dupe the uninitiated into believing things without sufficient warrant. Ceasing to write didn’t help what I was going through; if anything, it made it worse. So in some sense, blogging is cathartic.

But far-and-away the dominant reason I want to return to blogging has to do with my readers. I have received many comments and messages from people urging me to return to writing. Some have suggested I focus on lengthier pieces and others on highlighting the work of others. But the amount of positive feedback I’ve received made me feel like my work – though that of a mere amateur – was useful in some way to my readers. And it has not been only skeptics and unbelievers who have urged me to write. Many Christians have done so as well. And in my book, when both believers and unbelievers find value in what I write as an atheist then I feel that is something worth continuing.

So I want to say “thank you” to my readers: to those who frequently comment on my work, to those who share it, to those who spar with me, and to those who contribute to the discussion via Twitter. Though I’ve never met 99.9% of you, I do count many of you as friends.

Now, what will the blog look like going forward? First, I will be focusing on lengthier posts particularly on the Gospel of Mark as well as some other series on which I’ve been working. Second, I will continue to post interesting quotes from books I’ve been reading a couple of times a week. Finally, on Fridays I will post a “Weekly Roundup” which will include links to and very brief analysis of articles I’ve recently read, videos I’ve watched, or podcasts that I’ve listened to. I want to continue to point to good resources for my readers.

To maintain mental health, I will probably take a week or two off here and there, especially around holidays. I’ll probably also take a month off in the summer to give myself a break and my readers. The last thing I want to do is overload you with too much material nor do I want to end up burned out as I did recently with all that has been going on in my life.

If you have any suggestions for topics you’d like discussed or questions you’d like answered, please email me at amateurexegete@gmail.com. Feedback is always appreciated!

And again, thank you to everyone for your encouragement and support.

Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons.