Blogging... Why?

I sit in front of my computer screen.

I think...

I think...

I think...

Why am I doing this? Why am I writing? There has to be some deeper reason than "because three of my closest friends did so and won't stop nagging until I start one for myself". I don't think I'm writing to share my feelings with the world. That seems far too trivial and 99.999999999% of the world probably won't ever know this blog exists. I'm not writing to prove anything about myself. There are much better ways and I'm not convinced that I need to be proven (I'll probably delve into this last statement later... we'll see). I must be writing to convey a message. This message is greater than words, however, and will probably take my entire life to even get across just a tiny shred of its worth and relevance.

This message is GRACE!!! (generally three exclamation points means "IMPORTANT", just so you'll know)

Yes, grace. God's never ending grace which He has bestowed upon all of humanity through the sacrifice of His son Jesus. This brings me to the relevance of the title of my blog, which may have confused a reader or two, as Barabbas is certainly not as familiar a Biblical entity as Moses, Peter, or Paul. Barabbas was important nonetheless and is perhaps one of the most relatable characters I've found in all of the Bible. Barabbas was a thief, a criminal held prisoner by the Roman Empire, a sinful man. When Pilate had found no fault with Christ, he offered to free one prisoner in hopes that the people might choose to release Jesus, a man innocent beyond all doubt. The crowd would not have this, however, and instead chose to release Barabbas instead.

THIS IS GRACE. The idea that we were freed by Christ's sacrifice. We wretched, sinful, unworthy people were reestablished as worthy heirs of God's kingdom through the death and resurrection of the one perfect being that has ever walked the earth.

This is why I write. There can be no greater message to convey than our salvation and our chance to live eternally. No wealth of man can compare. No idea can rival in importance. The grace given through Christ is everything.

Well, when I say "everything" I think you understand what I mean. But to make sure, I mean that grace must essentially be understood and accepted first before anything else can truly be of value. My blogging venture will examine some important, challenging questions I've had about theology, philosophy, and just life in general, but also whatever random thoughts come to mind that I find interesting and worth writing. Expect poetry at times, as sappy as it sounds. Also expect seemingly incoherent rants (it happens). But always remember, that whatever I say and whatever you think about what I say, it is nowhere near as important as God's grace and cannot truly be appreciated without being viewed in its light.

I pray that God's blessings may be upon this blog and all who read it.

Agape,
Joe