A while ago I wrote the post you are about to read. I was hesitant to post it, but I find that it fits in very well with what Mirriam had to say. This is a call to writers who want to write real, authentic stories that may not be "Christian", but are written deeply and from the heart. This post is also from my heart. It's very honest and open, which is why I was hesitant to post it—but if there's anything I want this blog to be, I want it to be real. So this is my soap box, if you will.
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One night as I was laying in bed, I had a sudden burst of excitement as I thought about all the fellow young writers I know. Writers who love Jesus, who have a passion for the written word and want to change the world with it.And then I realized, that is exactly what we're going to do. We're going to change how people think, but subtly. We will hand out sheafs of paper with a gentle disclaimer: "This is the world the way I see it."
And that's why I'm so excited. Every person I've connected with through the internet, every person who reads this blog... everyone has a story. They have a mind. They have a heart. And this, the pursuit of the written word, is part of their story. The words bottled up in your brain are nothing short of genius.
Words are important. Words have power. Words are beautiful. Words are dark. Words can be anything you want them to be and more. As soon as they are out of our hands they sprout wings and plunge into someone else's mind, exploding with colors and ideas and thoughts and curiosity. Plumes of red, green, yellow, light blue. Your words may mean something totally different to another person.
And that is both the joy and the curse of writing.
Words matter. You matter. You have a story inside of you and it needs to be told. I swear to you, someone in this world needs your words. They need the words trapped deep inside your soul.
The world needs you, my dear.
The world is calling.
Will you answer them?
So come on. Grab your sword (or your pen, whichever you prefer). I've just got this picture in my mind of all of us on a hill, geared up for battle, and then charging down while screaming at the top of our lungs. (Though our writing isn't so much aggressive as it is passionate. That is what I picture.)
This is our battle cry. This is our calling, my friends. To write of love and peace and justice. To write of hurt and bitterness and pain. To write that there is always hope, even when it is darkest.
This is our legacy.
Are you with me?
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
— Steve Jobs
“Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.”
— Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
