Why I Hate Writing
Why I Hate Writing
I love to write about true and deep things. I find it easy to write about the hard and long-suffering things of life. The problem is that many people seem to have a problem with me writing about such things (yeah, I'm talking about the church).
I like to write about redemption too. Redemption is an incredible part of my life, and of the lives of many of my friends. But it is not all of life. Not all stories end in redemption, and poetry and story should reflect this fact.
When I watch a Christian film, I expect it to end well. It must. It has to.
Now, part of this may be because only so many Christian films come out every year. But I find the whole thing misleading. I've discussed the movie "To Save a Life" before. It is actually a pretty good "Christian" movie. It is gritty, with teenage pregnancy, youth group hypocrisy, and other elements in play. But through the whole movie, the son (the main character) has a horrible relationship with his father. And while I watched the move the first time I thought, "I'm positive that they are going to make it OK in the end." Sure enough, at the end of the movie the father drives up in a convertible, offers to pay for his son's college tuition, and they literally drive off into the sunset.
This has been my experience, not just with Christian film, but with Christian story.
I say, "Give me just one that ends in failure." No. "Fine, I will write them myself."
Because it just isn't relevant. It just isn't true. Show me pain, show me a desire for reconciliation. That is Christian. The "working out" isn't explicitly Christian, the desire is.
That would be interesting wouldn't it? Show people the third way of Christ. A desire for something more, something better. It needn't all work out in the end. This life is just a "momentary light affliction" according to Paul. Redemption here isn't all that there is.
So let me write my sad songs. Let me revel in things that are true, and real, even if they hurt. I mean, the Biblical text only includes Job, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, 60 Psalms of lament, and the many failures and shortcomings of the disciples. Let me have my stupid songs. Let me respond to Christ in all of it, "You know I love you. Look at what you've led me through."
I love to write about true and deep things. I find it easy to write about the hard and long-suffering things of life. The problem is that many people seem to have a problem with me writing about such things (yeah, I'm talking about the church).
I like to write about redemption too. Redemption is an incredible part of my life, and of the lives of many of my friends. But it is not all of life. Not all stories end in redemption, and poetry and story should reflect this fact.
When I watch a Christian film, I expect it to end well. It must. It has to.
Now, part of this may be because only so many Christian films come out every year. But I find the whole thing misleading. I've discussed the movie "To Save a Life" before. It is actually a pretty good "Christian" movie. It is gritty, with teenage pregnancy, youth group hypocrisy, and other elements in play. But through the whole movie, the son (the main character) has a horrible relationship with his father. And while I watched the move the first time I thought, "I'm positive that they are going to make it OK in the end." Sure enough, at the end of the movie the father drives up in a convertible, offers to pay for his son's college tuition, and they literally drive off into the sunset.
This has been my experience, not just with Christian film, but with Christian story.
I say, "Give me just one that ends in failure." No. "Fine, I will write them myself."
Because it just isn't relevant. It just isn't true. Show me pain, show me a desire for reconciliation. That is Christian. The "working out" isn't explicitly Christian, the desire is.
That would be interesting wouldn't it? Show people the third way of Christ. A desire for something more, something better. It needn't all work out in the end. This life is just a "momentary light affliction" according to Paul. Redemption here isn't all that there is.
So let me write my sad songs. Let me revel in things that are true, and real, even if they hurt. I mean, the Biblical text only includes Job, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, 60 Psalms of lament, and the many failures and shortcomings of the disciples. Let me have my stupid songs. Let me respond to Christ in all of it, "You know I love you. Look at what you've led me through."
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