Blogging Charisms

Last night I had a 'genius' idea. Well, I don't know if it was genius, but it kept me up for two hours just imagining things in my mind. It was an idea for a "new blog", which is the worst kind of idea a person like me can have. I know that such a project would drive my unofficially diagnosed OCD brain into madness, so I didn't let myself indulge, but it has kept me thinking about how each blog has a particular place in the blogosphere.

This all started yesterday when I was talking with Dan from GLACC. I was telling him how I wish he and his blog crew could update more. I really like reading things that are of a "local" concern. This is something I struggle with on my blog, the whole local v. wider audience thing. That concept then got me thinking not only local v. wider audience, but also about what I call blog 'Charisms' in general. What I mean by that is, like a religious order, I think blogs generally have a certain 'Charism' or area of theology/spirituality that they write about. Some blogs may even have a 'Seinfeld-esque Charism' where every new post is something new, but that is their Charism. (Think: The Crescat or  The Curt Jester.) There are all sorts of Charisms. There are the Pro-Life blogs, the Catholic News and Events, Theology, Liturgy, Mom-Blogs, etc...

The concept of blog Charisms is helpful to readers as well as writers for various reasons. This idea generally ties into the Name of the Blog, for example. The name is the first thing we encounter when we are going to read a blog for the first time. Therefore, a good name will really help your readers know what you are writing about, but even more importantly it can help inform you as to what you should/could be writing about. This is not to say that a blog should corner itself in within the parameters of your Charism/Name, but that it is important to understand where your faith is focused.

Some of the best "designed" and "put together" blogs really stick to their Charism. Take "Happy Catholic" for example. Julie D's blog is nicely laid out, everything is nice and neat, and she has a Charism that she sticks to quite nicely. Another blog that serves up a nice dose of continuity is "Shoved to Them". When you read Rebecca's posts, you know you are going to get poigniant examples of everyday faith from the perspective of a great Catholic mom. She  doesn't write a "mommy blog" per se, but she certainly utilizes her experience as a great mom to help us all understand our faith better in the day to day.

why it is important to think about your 'Charism'

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I have been thinking about this, because I realize that there are a lot of posts on my blog from way back when that really put myself, and my thoughts on the faith out there. My blog is not the "neatest" or written with the clearest "Charism." It was intended to be a blog about spiritual warfare, the day to day battles of the faith, and our place within the Church Militant. To many, that isn't their cup of tea. I know that I won't get hordes of readers streaming in from Mom-Blogs or the more popular "everyday Catholic" type blogs because my 'Charism' isn't appealing to them. In the past, when I have tried to "broaden" my appeal, I feel like these posts are forced or don't quite fit. I think this is similar to when we try something "new" in our spiritual life and although it works for some, it isn't necessarily for us. '

I think it is important that we write what we know. That isn't to say don't avoid writing a post just because it doesn't seem to fit your "theme" or 'Charism', but don't try to get readers to your blog by posting about something that is "trending" if it isn't something that moves you. There are a lot of blogs out there, and there will always be blogs that you run across that you think are better than yours, and some probably are. Yet, we all started blogging because we thought we had something important to say, or we wanted to grow in a certain way, or we thought we could help others in a certain way. That being the case... write in that certain way. Embrace your Charism, have it be what makes you a better Catholic, a more spiritual Catholic, and even a better blogger.

I face some flack because of my blog. My "militant" style has been called everything from judgmental and critical, to over-bearing, near-sighted, and un-charitable. I don't try to be any of these things, in fact, I   try to be the opposite of these things. What I know is that my life hasn't been a "Catholic walk in the park." My spiritual journey has been a war. Therefore, what I know is that we are in battle... and so I will write about that. My audience might not be as big as Father Z's, but my Charism makes me who I am as a Catholic.

A final note. A lot of blogs really try to "teach" people things. That is often a really good things, and I have learned a lot. I have even tried to do so with this blog in a rather direct manner. Sometimes though, I think we need to take Rebecca's 'Charism' and apply it to our posts. We need to find the things in our life, our minds, and our hearts that are examples of how to live the faith, and simply relate those experiences. It is the "Little Way" of life that sometimes leads us to the biggest revelations about God and Faith. So embrace your Charism, let it guide you and lead you to not only writing better posts, but to enhancing your faith life by accepting who and what you are as a Catholic. There is a reason there are so many different religious orders, don't let your Charism be something you are ashamed of, but instead, embrace it and make it be a garden of rich soil.

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