Good morning.

Okay, so while I was sleeping I received a handful of emails about my post regarding Rick Warren’s Tweet, so let me clarify a couple things. I like Rick Warren. I’ve met him twice and thought he was a warm kind individual with a great passion for the teachings of Jesus. By no means did yesterday’s “challenge” Tweet change my opinion about him. My post was about the Tweet. Just because I write a post about somebody like Rick doesn’t mean that I hate them or think they’re obsolete.

A couple people called my post “graceless.” And it’s funny, because I think a humorous (or nonsensical) post is one of the greatest forms of grace.

I mean, seriously friends, I used the word “twucify.” If we’re going to take seriously a post that includes the word “twucify” then by all means, we better take very seriously a tweet from Rick Warren where he challenges churches across America to a holiness duel.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I continue to be astounded by how many people love and laugh about my blog’s coverage of “Jesus” and “Christianity” as a whole, but as soon as I mention the name of a famous pastor or Christian, I get a whole bunch of messages and emails protesting the post.

Why is it that a well-known pastor (name withheld) sends me a DM praising a post that I put fake ridiculous words in the mouth of Jesus and yet sends me another DM to chide me when I post some ridiculous words about Rick Warren? I don’t understand that. Is it possible that we believe in Rick more than we believe in Jesus? Is it possible, because Rick’s in the here and now and we can hear him and read his books and Tweets, that perhaps we sometimes believe in his existence more than we believe in the existence of Jesus?

Because I never receive emails when I blog about “Jesus.” Never.

So to clarify a few things…

1) Despite anything you read at this blog, I love Jesus. I really do love Jesus.

2) I love Rick Warren. It’s hard to love somebody you’ve only hugged twice, but I think I love him. At the very least, I like him. I don’t agree with him on certain issues, but I think he’s a good man.

3) I love you. Again, at the very least, I like you. And just because I might disagree with you on a few things–heck, maybe a lot of things–doesn’t change that. I still love/like you. 🙂

As always, thank you for reading.

-MPT