Articles and Poetry by Our Members
| Why Write? |
| Author: Rod McDonald Entered on: 3/28/2006 |
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| It is deeply etched into our nature to be creative. It is no accident that man, created in God's image, has this unique capacity. We watch our children, laugh and marvel at their play, as they create worlds in their minds. We extol artists accomplished in their discipline and think, perhaps, this domain belongs only to the gifted or the elite. Yet we experience folk art, even graffiti, growing out of the dry soil of poverty and ignorance -- sometimes wonderful and sometimes bizarre. I have noticed in overseeing my children's music lessons that art cannot be created 'in a vacuum'. So on the one hand it is in our nature, yet on the other there is a need for outside inspiration. We find music beautifully performed and give it to our children hoping that they may be inspired. Yet, where did the master obtain his vision? And so on, recursively, we wonder where it started. I believe all light 'starts' from, through and in God, from his word and from his creation. So then the Christian has the best inspiration, the well spring of all creativity, coming from the original creator. Christians have a special relationship to writing. We are regarded as the 'people of the Book.' We 'covet' of good books. We are inspired and our lives are changed by these books. But have you ever considered writing yourself? Why should we write? 1) Your life was changed for eternity possibly by a very simple written gospel message. So write that you may 'incarnate' truth into your world for the purpose of changing the lives of others. John Bunyan probably had no idea of the far reaching effects of his decision one day to write an allegory about a pilgrim. 2) You should write because you have some responsibility of teaching. This may be a mother to her children, or a pastor his church. We all have some sphere of teaching, whether to great or small, many or few. And the light that God gives is usually a slow steady stream over time, not an avalanche at the time of preparation. 3) Write in order to hold fast the wisdom God has given you. Proverbs reminds us, once wisdom has been given, to hold onto it. It is to be kept, not to let escape, be turned away from, or forgotten, held fast, bound to the neck, and written upon the heart. So commit your best thoughts to a journal. 4) Your writing will be a valuable legacy left behind to your own family. I had a great aunt who through her life time wrote poetry. Within a couple years of her death, she printed, bound and gave away what she wrote to all her family, a winsome witness for Christ. 5) Write to reflect the glory of God, as an act of worship. You may say, there are enough books that say all there needs to be said in a way better than I can ever say them. Yet did not John say "... if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written." (John 21:25) We are the continuation of the book of Acts. Fill the up world with writing about Christ. 6) Finally, write for the day when you lose your mind so that you may be encouraged to know that you once had one. Perhaps it will prevent you from losing it in the first place. I was listening to a friend speak to me recently about how her Christian life was like an odyssey, where at every turn God was teaching her something new. These things God gives are precious. Do not lose them, keep them in a journal, publish them for the glory of Christ and the benefit of His church. |
