I'm not about to engage in any debates about salvation. But here's a thought worth pondering: writing to win our salvation may be the ticket, whether or not we believe in in eternal life or salvation. Such a motive ought to propel us, keep us on track, steer us away from the blind pursuit of dubious goals like wealth or popularity, alert us when we're writing shallow or dishonest words.
I read long ago that Anthony Burgess got a diagnosis of a terminal disease and began writing like crazy to make money for his family. Sure, I'm naive. But I think my kids will do all right financially. My concern is that they, and some other people, live well and fully and in accord with the truth they discover.
Since I would like to help them discover, I'm going to try to live like Michelangelo and write as if my salvation depends upon it. Which means I had best consider what I'm going to write about.
One particular story needs to get told, and soon, in case I get run over by a street sweeper or conked in the temple by an errant golf ball, or some gun toting reader takes offense and decides I'm the devil.
And then, maybe I'll grapple more consciously with a theme that has hounded me since forever, which involves two simple questions:
• why are so many professing Christians such apparently wicked people?
• how can anyone believe in a faith that so many apparently wicked people claim as their own?
If I could answer here in a few words, I would. But one of my phobias is the fear of simplistic answers. I suppose that's a reason I write novels.
10 comments:
Two good questions, Ken. If you would like to expand your list of questions religious believers ought to consider, if not answer, let me know. I have a top 20.
Hmm... Write like your salvation depended on it. At first glance that makes me think of Performance Orientation (see my blog post http://helenmargarita.blogspot.com/) but I don't think that's what you mean. Perhaps I would word it, write with eternity in mind. Are we willing to put it all out there for the Lord, not trying to write words that sell, but words of light, life and truth.
The answer to your question is that Christians are human like everyone else and get tempted like everyone else. Not all of the succumb to the temptation though.
Don, Please send the list. I'll ponder it after this book release whirl. Probably July.
Helen,
I read and appreciated your post about performance organization.
What I'm talking about here isn't so much performance as devotion, putting the art we practice at or near the top of our list of priorities.
The idea of working toward our salvation may (or may not -- we could address that issue for millions of words, I'm sure) be heretical, but it could be effective in making us more valuable writers.
If someone finds the idea offensive, he could tweak it to "writing as if our salvation depended upon it."
Marilyn,
I'm aware of and understand your answer, but it doesn't give me anything I can use to help myself or others act more in accord with the principles Jesus taught.
Which is a reason why I think we as writers need to go deeper.
Ken, I still cannot believe that the Ken I knew in the old days can use these phrases with a straight face, that you really believe these odd, old, irrational superstitions. Maybe you have already gone over the edge, and I will never understand how this happened to you, but tomorrow, when I have free time, I'll send you the top 20, and wait with unbridled anticipation for your responses.
Don,
Which phrases?
win his salvation
salvation is assured
eternal life
write as if my salvation depends upon it
devotion
working toward our salvation
the principles Jesus taught
things like that, and only from this post
I'll send along the top 20 questions "believers" might consider asking themselves later on.
Ken, I started proposing some interesting questions Christians might want to consider here, but it grew way too long for a comment, so instead I put it in a blog post over on my side of the fence.
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