Why I'm not...

winking.

Yeah- just not going to do it.
Also, not going to spend a lot of time on this, but...

I loved Doug Pagitt's original call to graciousness in the face of critique- particularly the ridiculous kind.
Wink all you want at that...

But when it comes to serious critiques or even reasonably well-presented broadsides from someone you expect to simply lay into you, but who clearly put a huge amount of effort into self-restraint?

Well...

I think "winking" at that shows, not graciousness... but a smart-assed inability to hear critique- something we consistently say we can do when it's presented in a credible, gracious way. I think Dricoll got most of the way there and I'm willing to spot him the difference... and I think you should too, even if you disagree with some (as I did) or all  (as others did) of his conclusions. 

You can lose a lot of things... but lose teachability? Then you're really up a creek. If our collective response of the emerging church becomes to wink at any and all critique, then
1. we're lost
2. I'm out.

So, that's why I'm not winking.