Best of the Web – Tertium Squid (blog)

(Best of the Web is an occasional series of posts where I look at those places on the Internet that I think represent the best of what the Web can be.  The selections are entirely personal)

Tertium Squid – Blogs are passé.  The cool kids have either moved on or try to pretend they don’t really have anything to do with them any more.  The reality is that the simple blog is largely gone.  The aimless personal journal still exists but they get exactly the level of attention they deserve, which is virtually none.

No, for those of us still blogging (like yours truly) what has been required is more of a focus.  For me this blog has been a way to stay in touch with the media that I love so much and that which has been so much a part of my life.

Years ago I stumbled on the blog of a Baptist pastor from San Antonio, Texas.  He went by “Real Live Preacher” back then and he wasn’t like any Baptist preacher I’d ever come across before (or since).  His blog was well written, deeply passionate and with an intellectual depth that was rare, then and now.  I became a regular reader and even purchased the book that grew out of that blog.

Along the way things changed for “Real Live Preacher”.  I won’t try and summarize his story here in a few words.  It’s not my story to tell and I can only do it an injustice by trying to create a “blurb” version.  The end result was that “Real Live Preacher” went away.  For me the Internet was a little bit less special.  For those of us who loved his writing we looked for the name Gordon Atkinson on places like Christian Century and The High Calling among others.  Then a couple years ago (? I’ve reached that age when time is telescoping on me) along came:

Another place to enjoy the thoughts of a man I would love to sit down over a beer and chat with some day.

So what’s the deal with this month’s BOTW?  I think Gordon’s blogs and writings represent one of the best things happening on the Internet.  Is this the BEST BLOG ON THE INTERNET?  Probably not, might be some days.  I chose Tertium Squid to represent a whole category of writing out there.  People with a passion for what they do and a passion for using words (love them word lovin’ people) to help us dive a little deeper.  Deeper into all kinds of things.  I’d love to believe that this blog might make that cut along the way.

I do know that I have standards against which I measure myself.

This is one of those.

There’s some great writing out there.  Go and find it.