Back at GodBlogCon, Hugh Hewitt asked John Mark Reynolds, Mark D. Roberts and I who we wished would blog. I immediately answered "I wish Rob Asghar would re-start his blog." When offering my rationale, I mentioned that Rob's voice is a rare one in most evangelical circles. He was born and raised literally all over the world, he is Pakistani by heritage and an adult convert to Christianity. Now a Presbyterian elder, Rob, (he's given name is Saquib), is both intelligent and insightful. He is also really funny.
Today I got my wish. Rob is blogging again.
A long time speech writer on the staff at USC, Rob has been an editor and ghostwriter for some luminaries and even a kind of "literary personal trainer" for one particular pastor who struggled with making his dissertation more accessible and relevant to church leaders (ahem.)
But, and maybe this is the biggest reason we need Rob's voice. In the words of Mark Roberts that day: "He's also a Democrat!"
Following the advice of Hugh Hewitt who said that when pastors start preaching politics we are conducting "amateur hour", I usually stay away from clear partisan political discussion. But believing that the furthering of the Kingdom of heaven requires political involvement at many levels often leaves me feeling like I am dog-paddling in the deep end.
So, I turn to tutors to help me learn and grow. In many ways, my own political and philosophical underpinnings are most helped by Hugh Hewitt on one hand and Rob Asghar on the other. While both of the men are Christians (Presbyterian elders), they often offer perspectives that differ from each widely. They both talk about the seismic shifts in our culture since 9/11, but both of them have been shaped by their life experiences. Every family gathering, Rob sits down with devout Muslims who are as angry at terrorism as any blue-state republican. But they also grieve current US Foreign policy and fear the backlash.
Rob will often push me to consider how co-opted Christianity has become by conservative politics and why the rough-and-tumble tone of so much political talk-radio speak has now become commonplace even for Christians.
My next wish is for some genuine dialogue--Christian dialogue--about the things of the kingdom and the responsibilities of people who are devout followers of Jesus regarding politics and and social change. I wish for Rob Asghar and Hugh Hewitt to get to know each other and talk face to face and exchange good, respectful, perspectives that will enhance all of us and help each of them to help their common "side" become more faithful to our Kingdom commission.
So, will my second wish come true?
P.S. Since I am celebrating Rob's return, I also want to celebrate another friend (and Rob blog nemesis) who has just started a blog. Dave Grecu is decidedly more in the Hugh camp (if that is fair to say) but Rob and Dave are good friends and able conversationalists. I encourage you to check out Dave's blog also.
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