INTRODUCING THE VIGILANT

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14



Welcome to The Vigilant and my first blog post! In this introductory post I’ll concentrate on three main points. First I’ll tell you a little about me. Next I’ll tell you why I named this blog The Vigilant. And last of all, I’ll tell you what you can expect from The Vigilant and why you should visit here periodically. I hope that, after reading this post, you’ll have a clearer understanding of who I am, what motivates me to write and why The Vigilant could be a beneficial addition to your reading routine.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE

Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t believe everything you hear/read/see?” It’s such an important notion to remember and especially now that we’re living in the internet age. With masses of information at your fingertips you have to be critical and even skeptical of the ideas people share because they may not be true. And if you believe what isn’t true then you’re at risk of ending up in a potentially awkward or even dangerous situation. In a time when every one has a different opinion on nearly every subject, it’s become increasingly important to not only consider the content of the information you receive but also the source of it.

To that end, I introduce myself; that you might carefully scrutinize me as the source of this and future blog posts on The Vigilant. This short biography is not meant to be exhaustive, but is meant to give an honest glimpse at who I am. I hope it will suffice for the time being, for the purpose of your scrutiny.

By the world’s standards, I’m not an extraordinary man. I don’t have incredible stories of personal experiences, neither triumphant nor tragic. I’m not well travelled, nor am I well read. I don’t have a bachelor’s degree, let alone a master’s or PHD. I’m not wealthy or famous or intelligent enough to garner any special attention. As a 34 year old man, I live a fairly simple life that, to most, would lack anything that even hints at the impressive or the interesting. But to Him who created the heavens and the earth, to the one who can rebuke wind and quiet the storm with a word, to the one who died, yet lives, to the one true and living God I am a beloved child. I’m not extraordinary by the world’s standards, but I am by God’s standards in and through the redeeming work of His son Jesus Christ. If you want to learn anything about me, best to start with the most important bit.

So I’m a 34 year old, Christian man. I’ve been married to my gorgeous wife, Kelly, for just over 2 years. We don’t have kids yet but love our two cats, Eli and Fin, very much. We live in Morden, Manitoba in an area known as the Pembina Valley, right in the heart of the prairie region of Canada. I like to stay active and enjoy golfing, kayaking and snowboarding. I also love to read and study (mainly theological stuff) and write, obviously. I was raised in Brandon, Manitoba by two loving parents, Reg and Linda, along with my four siblings. Since I can remember my parents have been professing Christians and have instilled in me, since childhood, the importance of being in relationship with Jesus Christ. Much, if not all, of what you’ll find here on The Vigilant will pertain, at least to some degree, to that most important topic.

Thanks to my parent’s example and guidance I grew up learning about Jesus and later, thanks to God’s grace, was born again. I would say that from that early age I was strongly devoted to my commitment to Christ, though in retrospect, I had no idea what that even meant. And as I grew older I found that, contrary to what I knew was right, I didn’t spend much time cultivating my relationship with God. But instead I spent my time going after girls and dreaming about careers and popularity and wealth. Looking back, I recognize how incredibly gracious God was with me. And it convicts me now, knowing that in years to come, I’ll look back and realize how incredibly gracious He is to me here and now. But so it went, up through high school and well beyond college years. I was living for me, myself and I with little thought given to who I really was, namely, a child of God, created in His image to glorify Him (John 1:12-13, Genesis 1:27).

In that self-centered, delusional state, I bounced around from school to school, career to career and from relationship to relationship until I finally found my place. On account of God’s providence, at age 27, I became a Border Services Officer with the Canada Border Services Agency; a position I hold to this day. And as much as it’s been my privilege to serve Canadians in this role, it’s been my absolute joy to do so in service to God. It’s in these past 8 years that I have succumb to those old nagging convictions to cultivate my relationship with God, and He has returned every effort of mine with blessings a thousand times over. It’s in these past 8 years as a law enforcing, truth seeking, God fearing, Jesus lover that I’ve learned what it means to be Vigilant.

WHY THE VIGILANT?

As a law enforcer being vigilant (pronounced – vidj-ah-lint) is important. We even use the term hypervigilance when speaking about our experiences in, what can sometimes be, a high stress, potentially dangerous work environment. Being Canada’s first line of defense against any would-be attackers means that I rarely know who I’m dealing with or what their intentions might be. I’m put in a precarious position of disadvantage each day when I’m required to approach a stranger and question them not knowing what evil or violent intention they may have. This means that I must remain vigilant, even hyper vigilant, in order to protect myself, my co-workers, the Canadian public and the country.

The Oxford dictionary defines Vigilant as an adjective meaning: Keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. It comes from the Latin “vigil” which means awake. That’s what being vigilant is all about; being awake, alert, attentive, watchful, aware, ready and prepared in order that any potential danger, difficulty or trouble might be quickly identified and dealt with. Vigilance could be the first step in preventing something harmful or dangerous from happening and so at the heart of vigilance is this effort to protect.

So the idea behind The Vigilant blog is this passion to protect and defend by keeping careful watch for possible dangers or difficulties. You might ask, “what are you hoping to defend or protect?” And I’d answer, “those things that I’m convinced are true and those people who need to hear it.” Things like, biblical inerrancy, inspiration and authority. Things like the truth of the Christian gospel, the truth of the triune God, and so on. Here’s the thing, as an evangelical Christian, I know what it’s like to have my beliefs attacked by non-believers and fellow believers alike. I’ve stood by and watched as churches have morphed into man-centered, secularized, entertainment complexes; sacrificing their Christocentricity. I’ve been to churches where there is no sermon, no bible, no gospel and no Christ whatsoever! I’m aware of assaults on the inerrancy, inspiration and authority of the bible and on the nature and attributes of God himself. And I’ve seen a lot more than that! I suppose I’m just convicted to take a stand. Here and now, I want to be more vigilant. I want to contribute my small part to others who oppose and abhor such attacks. I want to be a light in the darkness and a voice of loving truth. I don’t want to look back on my life and regret not having said or done something. And those who choose to join the cause, this group devoted to protecting and preserving the truth for the benefit of their neighbors in love, I like to call them The Vigilant.

CONSIDER THE CONTENT

Aiming to stay consistent with who I am and what I’ve stated The Vigilant is all about, I plan to write on themes like Christian Doctrine, Biblical hermeneutics and interpretation, Common theological or interpretive errors and heresies, the Christian Gospel and much more. And just so we’re clear, I’m bound to make errors. First of all, I’m a human. And secondly, I’m a layman with zero seminary training. So I hope that wise and knowledgeable people will read this blog and comment. Though I’m full of zeal for this project and ready to use it for God’s glory, I’m also ready to be humbled by it and to learn from it. I hope that through this effort we can all grow and mature in truth. And I’ll also add this, I hope everyone who reads this blog questions everything! Like I said before, you have to be critical and even skeptical of the things people share. Be like the Bereans in Acts chapter 17. They didn’t blindly believe the Apostle Paul, but “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11b) The Bereans looked for themselves and that’s what I hope you’ll do as well.

I won’t make any promises as to how often I’ll write. I tend to take my sweet time writing. But I am hoping to write some bible commentary regularly. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks for checking out The Vigilant. I hope you’ll check back often and contact me with questions, comments, advice, concerns, prayer requests, encouragement, etc. If you believe in this project and want to help support it, please pray for me and for anyone who might read it. Remember to check back periodically for new content but in the meantime, stay Vigilant.


Ryan Tame