Writer’s Blues:

Out of the many old sayings that I have come across in my life, one of my classic favorites is “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Maybe it’s because it appeals to me as a writer. Or maybe it’s because if I ever picked up a sword I would have a higher chance of hurting myself than anybody else. That is if I could pick up a sword without staggering about wildly in the first place. At any rate I am a great believer in the power of the written word.

I am also a great believer in using blogs and articles for the purpose of evangelization. However while browsing through many such sites I noticed a strange pattern in the kind of blogs that I frequented and the ones I went through great lengths to avoid.

So I decided to write down some of my little do’s and don’ts to keep in mind while maintaining a blog, especially if your purpose is to spread the Gospel.

Tip # 1: Don’t use overcomplicated language

I have come across some blogs where I have had to use a thesaurus to literally translate every word. Let’s do a simple test: which sentence captures your attention more?

Have you lost your mind?

Or

Have you forfeited control of your mental faculties?

Hard to believe that both sentences mean the same thing. Sometimes I feel that more than spreading the word of God some people just want to show off their extensive vocabulary.

While using a few choice words here and there can elevate the level of writing, using complex language and vocabulary is counter-productive. When you use difficult words you limit your audience to those whose language abilities match your own. Moreover the aim of interpreting the gospel is to make it simpler and more accessible for those who do not understand. Not all those who read your articles will be religious scholars. There will be some poor laymen among those. There is a reason why Jesus himself spoke in simple parables.

Additionally overly complex language is a serious workout for the brain. If it’s too difficult to read, chances are that some will not bother reading at all.

Tip # 2: Don’t overuse philosophy

At times the content of a blog is so philosophical that rather than answering questions, it raises more. I have scratched my head like a sign-language monkey after reading certain articles and obviously that was not the intended effect. Take a look at this gem.

“The butterfly emerges gloriously from cocooned womb. Futility of trying, the regret that follows, the ordered mind that cannot distinguish between the known and the absurd. To gaze at the stars sightlessly, like a lock without a key, waiting to be discovered, the lone man muses hopelessly about the unsolvable algorithm.”

Wow. Slow down there, Socrates.

You get the sense that the writer is trying to say something deep. Except that sometimes it is so deep that I cannot even see it anymore. Philosophy which cannot be understood is meaningless and rather than prompting one to think further, it just results in disconnection of the mind.

After looking at the above quote I literally thought “What did I just read?” Maybe the author wanted me to think “Hashtag deep”. That was deep indeed. So deep that Adele was rolling in it.

Tip # 3:  Don’t include Latin, Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic words if it serves no purpose

Knowing the roots of a word is only useful when the roots mean something else other than the original meaning. Other than that it’s once again a show of look how many words in different languages I know. Sometimes I have seen whole paragraphs in ancient languages that clearly people cannot read. At times there are more foreign words in the article than English. Both ways it digresses from the original purpose. Here is a fine example:

“If you refer to a million theological sources and books throughout the text, it just becomes a bibliography which originated from the Greek word biblio which means book or Bible.”

As you can see the Greek word reference is literally useless in this context.

Tip # 4:  Focus on what God did for you rather than what you did for Him

Rather than mentioning the many fasts you took, the million of masses you attended, the thousands of rosaries you said, the puritan and holy life you led in order to obtain a particular favor or grace from God, instead focus on what God did for you. Also try to focus on your mistakes, where you went wrong rather than proclaiming about the many good things you did and sacrifices you made. The most moving testimonies are the ones where you talk about your failures and mistakes because it becomes more relatable. It gives hope to people when they fall because they know that there are others who struggle in the same manner. Moreover even if we fail God, He never fails us.

A wonderful, epic testimony which is flawless from beginning to end and deliberately omits all the problems and obstacles is good to hear but cannot move anyone because it’s not relatable.

Tip # 5: Ditch the holier than thou attitude

Nothing can turn me off quicker than a testimony that reeks of holier than thou attitude. The defining characteristic of a Christian is humility and a holier than thou attitude just directly counters the message you are trying to convey. It quickly turns from glorifying God to glorifying yourself. You may as well sign off the piece with Yours Superiorly, Obnoxious Pharisee.

I really do believe that books and articles are very powerful methods of evangelization. And I genuinely appreciate those who embark on such endeavors. However if you lose sight of the purpose of why you write at all, you end up achieving the exact opposite of what you intended. By keeping a few things in check you may be able to bring many souls back to church.

Happy Writing!

P.S: The above post was inspired by a prolonged conversation with philosopher in crime Amitha Thomas.