The Struggle of Writers

Pondering what others may have missed.

  The vast majority of writers are introverts. In quiet places, in our self-inflicted fortresses of solitude, we struggle along an undefined road. There is a world outside that would say, as well as imply with its actions that we “just need to get it together” and mingle with the world.

  A writer's job is to go inward, ponder what others have missed, and hopefully cause the reader to pause for a second, or to laugh at the silliness of worldly things. We tell stories of wonder, mysteries, and sadness; as well as points of history that no longer trouble the modern mind.

  And maybe, in that statement is the truth of the matter. If one goes deep, seriously deep, and pulls a mirror out of the mud to hand off to the dusty travelers, what will they see... something that has been forgotten? Will they like the reflection they see? Will they cry, will they scream, or will they learn to laugh?

  How does a garden grow? Warmth, and water, your mind are no different. The Father provides His presence and His love. Water loosens the soil of hard teachings that irresponsible teachers implanted long ago. In this, the Holy Spirit does His job well. For God has always walked through the garden, inspecting what you grow. Yearning to see you become healthy.

  But what of fertilizers? Nowadays we have many ones to choose from, just as we have many artificial Christs in our culture. And the artificial ones only produce mixed results for the garden of our minds. No... it is the power of the cross that reduces and composts all the worldly ways of our lives into manure, and out of this, Holy seeds pull the nutrients for the plants to grow. In this, He uses all things for His purposes.

Through Death, All Things can Grow.

  With pitchforks, shovels, and rakes, a plot of ground can be changed with a little sweat. Tools of destruction to the former, but a blessing to the tender new plants the garden was meant for. “For who has shown contempt for the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10

  Violence for the ground it is, as older established things must be ripped, torn, and displaced from the garden. This is grace for the new, the promise of the future. And so it must be within you and me. And perhaps this is one of the meanings behind Jesus’ statement about the Kingdom suffering violence. Perhaps the death of the former things and former systems and leaders is meant to give room for the new life of the Kingdom to grow.

  You are the plot of ground, that was intended for the garden, a new Eden of sorts. And perhaps what you grow is for another kind of harvest, a banqueting table. It may not look like much before you start. But once you evict the weeds, in so doing you are declaring to them that their squatting days are over, then diligence is required in every season. Why?

  Because, just like the bad thoughts, addictions, and destructive woke teaching that you removed with Christ's help from your life. Well, they all want to come back, seven times stronger. And so do all its kin folk, and the offspring of the weeds. For it is the Biblical norm that every generation must learn to fight for the land. To stand their ground and say, “no more.”

  I have seen many people, pretending to be gardeners, work the soil, plant, and then walk away. Only to return many weeks or even months later to discover no food, and everything overgrown. Shrugging their shoulders they turn away, not learning the lesson. The question is, “Is this a reflection of their spiritual lives?” If it's not, then it's at least a good shadow of the spiritual landscape of many of the places I have seen.

  This is why pondering Christian writers are needed. They are needed to strip away the false illusions of comfort and security. To poke fun at our castles of sand with questions, making us uncomfortable. For as long as we think our cardboard shanties are secure, why would we want to upgrade?

  We have been so reprogrammed by society that personal offense is grounds for war. So people attack the speaker and drive them away with clubs, knives, and slander. But perhaps, just perhaps we are fighting the wrong war? Perhaps we need to take a closer look… a little closer to our hearts and minds.

  What if I said, “History is written by the victorious, and all that you know is wrong!” Would you get mad, would ignore me and walk away, or would dig for the answers yourself?

  What if I said, “The Bible is very true, but your leaders have twisted it?” Would you unsubscribe, ignore me, or start your own search?

  What if I said, “The understanding of who Jesus is and how powerful the impact of his blood and life on this world has never been fully explored?” Would you just accept the statement or would you learn to spend time in the presence of the Father, and learn more?

  These are some of the questions to ask, to help your garden grow.

   Writers de-fuddle the mystery that the world makes complicated. All the while they encourage the reader to go just one more step along the adventure. The complex social and religious issues of the day can be interwoven like a tapestry within fictional stories to challenge the walls of our hard hearts.

  In this way fiction is good, it bypasses the man-made walls of textbooks, doctrine, and teaching to interject questions, possibilities, and “what ifs?” Much in the same way that personal testimonies and biographies do.

  History, Old Ideas, and Official Narratives are all challenged, inspected, and tossed on a bonfire of the pen if found unworthy by the authors. While others are left to simmer over the fire in a community of other concepts, making the perfect stew for a winter’s day meal. Many an introvert has chased down a word, struggling it to the ground to find the perfect spot, the perfect home for that word.

  For if the word is captured, planted, and watered a new concept will spring forth. Taking both the writer and reader up and over the hills of wonder to the land of new possibilities.