It's About Time
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I just noticed when I was writing the title of this post that about is one of those words that if you see it or say it too many times in a row it seems fake. Try it. I’ll wait…
See? What’s that about? Of course, about is a real word. It’s also the title of an important section that comes pre-loaded with every brand-spanking-new Substack.
I’ve been avoiding filling out my Substack About section since… oh… about… September 2024, when I first started writing here. Now, it’s finally time for an about face!
If you’re new to Future Xian, my freshly personalized About section should provide a decent preview of the kind of stuff you’ll find here.
If you’re already a subscriber, perhaps it will clear up some of the questions you’ve had about what I’m trying to do. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure it all out myself.
Give it a read and let me know what you think (about it)…
[NOTE: If at any point you feel disinterested or sense boredom creeping in, I suggest skipping ahead to the last section entitled “Who Is Eric Herron,” which contains the real juicy stuff.]
What Is Future Xian?
Future Xian is a creative exploration of my spiritual journey as an ex-evangelical and former Christian. In progressive Christian circles, this is popularly called deconstruction. I like to see it more as an evolution.
I write at least one new post each week with the plan to continually increase my output. All subscriptions are FREE.
Here’s a more narrative approach to describing my situation:
And for those who prefer visuals…
The SPACEMAN: that’s me.
The KITE: that’s the Christian worldview. The Spaceman is trying to make it fly.
SPACE: that’s the culture in which I’m existing. It’s hard to fly a kite there.
The STARS: those are other would-be kite-flyers at various stages of supernova.
Who Is Future Xian For?
Anyone interested in spiritual things
Everyday theologians (aka persons who think about god a lot)
People wondering about truth
Readers who like allegory
Ex-evangelicals
Future Christians (those who would like to call themselves a Xian, but just can’t right now)
Culture watchers with interest in politics & art
Minds that want to muse on: death, morality, religions, love, humanity, emotions, salvation, mysticism, justice, prayer, literature, music, visual art, and more…
What Will You Find Here?
I love to write dialogue. I love well-told stories. I love humor. I enjoy tinkering with Photoshop & AI. I favor puns & allegory. I’m in pursuit of a well-constructed sentence that feels like it actually contains life. I am fascinated by the similarities and differences between religions. I like cats.
My artistic preferences, life experiences, and spiritual interests are guiding me as I re-examine the beliefs I’ve held for a majority of my life. These guides have given birth to four distinct sections of Future Xian (accessible by the navigation menu across the top of my main Substack page).
The sections include…
Adventures in Crustaceanity - a comic that uses imaginary sea creatures to bring to the surface (yes!) difficult issues in theology, philosophy, and politics. Here’s an example.
Friction - allegorical fiction that may cause a faith-quake—because a story is often more engaging than a theological treatise. Here’s the beginning of a serialized novel about the afterlife.
Canny Candy - shorter, random thoughts that approach wisdom and brief interactions with stimulating quotes from wise people. Check this one out.
Future Xian - longer essays and socratic dialogues exploring philosophical and theological ideas (not just Christian) a bit more deeply. Here’s one about the Bible. And one about video games & death.
I add content every week to at least one of these sections.
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Before you leave, let’s connect! There are so many ways for us to interact…
SUBSCRIBE (If you click the subscribe button, you’ll be notified via email when I post something new. Everything I post is FREE and available to everyone.)
FOLLOW (If you are on Substack yourself, you can follow me in addition to (or instead of) Subscribing. Get the app here. It’s also free and better than Twitter/X.)
READ… the thought-provoking, sometimes inspiring newsletters I send to your inbox—or the random thoughts and comics I post in the Substack Notes feed. (It’s the least you can do.)
LIKE (If you like something that you read, please click or tap the heart icon. You’ll be glad you did—and I will, too.)
SHARE (In fact, if you really like Future Xian, please consider sharing it with someone else who you think might appreciate it.)
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Who Is Eric Herron?
After you’ve read enough of my posts and newsletters you’ll get a pretty good idea of who I am. Still, I thought it would be fun to include some very specific things about me here—things that may never come up in my writing. Everything is 100% true…
In 1999, I smuggled a painting out of Russia in my pant leg.
I was born in the American Southeast: Columbia, South Carolina. I lived there until I was 3 months old. I’ve since lost my Southern drawl.
I once was bamboozled in Budapest. It involved two women and still-unidentified narcotics they had evidently slipped into my drinks.
The first beer I ever had was in 1991 on a very hot train traveling across southern Romania. The beer was hot, too. I don’t remember the brand.
I spent a week with a Top 40 band playing in a bar in Craiova, Romania. (Most of this happened before that beer.)
My day-job since 2013 has been to write about food for a popular grocery store chain.
My eldest son is named after the book My name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok.
My ethnic make-up is one-fourth Italian, one-fourth Irish, one-fourth German, and one-fourth Russian. Basically, a white Euro-mutt.
I love the smell of onions and bell peppers cooking in olive oil.
I have lived in: Columbia, South Carolina (I know I mentioned that); Abington, Pennsylvania; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; West Linn, Oregon; Lisle, Illinois; Azuza, California; Westwood-Los Angeles, California; Chino Hills, California; Pomona, California; Riverside, California; Upland, California; Pasadena, California; Denver, Colorado; Western Springs, Illinois; and once again, Pasadena, California.
The only sport I really care about is soccer.
I never finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory.
I earned a Masters degree in Worship, Theology and the Arts.
I took a UCLA Extension course in Record Production and met Glen Frey.
In 1997, I sold my music collection of 300+ CDs (that’s compact discs) to buy a plane ticket to Paris and chase after my estranged wife.
I have been to Paris eight times.
I played a Fender Rhodes at The Mint in Los Angeles with a soul-rock band.
I played the keyboards on the song “How Long” by KC & Jo-Jo from their fourth studio album, Emotional. It was released in 2002 and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-hop albums chart.
Pre-kids, my (real) wife and I shared a house with another young couple. It was really fun and it was also very challenging to live in community like that.
I met Huey Lewis in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport and he was not impressed.
I make a very good Old Fashioned cocktail.
I studied classical piano for 10 years and considered becoming a concert pianist.
Our twins are both Goal Keepers (soccer, not hockey).
I married Nathalie in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001 on the 25th floor of the Venetian Hotel with 30 of our closest friends.
I have been a worship leader, seminary student, pastor, missionary, and house-church planter.
I moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to become a record producer. It didn’t work out like I had planned, but I did get to produce six worship albums with musicians from our church.
The only time I ever drove a car in a foreign country was through the streets of Zagreb, Croatia.
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