A Heart As Loud As Lions: Writing Courageously

by Nola Passmore

The Emeli Sandé song Read All About It (Pt. 3) could have been written about me. 

"You’ve got the words to change a nation but you’re biting your tongue
You’ve spent a lifetime stuck in silence afraid you’ll say something wrong"

If you have a few minutes, watch the film clip of the lyrics while Emeli sings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGEsU-BbHc

Now some people might be surprised to hear that I identify so much with that song.  After all, I’m a writer and I’m always sprouting forth about something. I’ve had plenty of Christian devotions, poems and articles published.  I’m not scared to speak out.  But you’ve only read the things I’m not afraid to say.  At a deeper level, I sometimes feel more like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz than the person with the ‘heart as loud as lions’ that Emeli refers to.

There are four main areas where I feel courage is necessary.

God-directed writing.  In a sense, all of our writing should be God-directed, whether we’re writing specifically for the Christian market or not.  However, I’m talking about the specific occasions when God leads you to write a particular message.  I think I’ve been okay on this one so far.  God often gives me an idea for a devotion or Christian article and I’ve had a number of them published.  However, I’ve also been doing Selwyn Hughes’s study on Jeremiah lately.  The things I’ve written are easy-peasy compared to the messages Jeremiah was asked to speak and write.  His enemies wanted to kill him because they didn’t like his prophecies.  How would I react if God asked me to write something that confronting?

Vulnerability.  All of us have areas of our lives that we don’t readily share with others.  It might be things we’re ashamed of from our past or issues that are too personal to talk about (e.g. a family problem; a health issue).  But what if God wants us to share our personal stories to help others? 

My first published article appeared in a book called The God Factor: 50 Scientists and Academics Explain Why They Believe in God.  I was working as a psychology academic at the time and intended to write a piece on the integration of psychology and Christianity.  However, God led me to write about my experiences as an adoptee.  Eek!  I couldn’t do that.  After I got over the initial shock, I did write on my adoption experiences.  Not only did I receive positive feedback from others who’d been touched by adoption, but that piece paved the way for other writing opportunities. 

I have a few personal issues on the backburner that are too raw for me to write about.  What are they?  Well if I told you, they wouldn’t be on the backburner!  I know God will have me write about them one day, but I don’t feel the time is right just yet.  Or is fear holding me back?

Unpopular beliefs.  As Christians, our beliefs are not always welcomed by the general public.  However, some issues are also contentious among Christians.  You only have to check out recent Facebook messages to see the diversity of opinions about the Israel-Palestine conflict, asylum seekers, and gay marriage, to name a few.  Sometimes I find myself keeping quiet because I’m not confident in my views or because I know others will disagree.  However, all of our opinions are worth hearing.  As Christians, I think we need to create an atmosphere where people feel safe expressing their ideas and where disagreements are discussed in a rational way that values the individual.  That’s what we try to do here at Christian Writers Downunder.  However, there will still be times when we need to speak the truth in love, even if that means getting some flak.

Hurting others.  Of course I’m not suggesting that we should deliberately hurt others, but sometimes that can be a side-effect of writing courageously about the other topics.  This may especially occur when family of friends are intertwined with our own personal stories.  For example, you can’t write about a relationship break-up without mentioning anything about the other person.  How we go about that would be another whole blog post in itself (or maybe a whole series).  Again, speaking the truth in love is important.  If the situation allows, you might be able to discuss it with the other person first.  You could use pseudonyms if necessary.  You also need to think about your motive for writing.  Is it really something that may help others or are you just getting something off your chest for the sake of it?  These are not easy questions to answer, but I know there are times when I baulk at writing something because I’m concerned how another might receive it. 

As you’ve probably gathered by now, this post raises more questions than it answers.  I am a ‘work in progress’ on this issue.  I’m not advocating saying everything to everyone in every forum.  There are some things I would be happy to see in a print publication, but not online.  Wisdom and timing are important.  However, I’d also like to be able to join Emeli Sandé and say ‘put it in all of the papers, I’m not afraid, they can read all about it’.  I’d like to heed God’s words to Joshua: 'Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go' (Josh. 1:9, NIV).

What about you?  Is fear stopping you from writing what God wants you to write about?  I’d be interested in hearing your stories and your strategies for courageous writing.

Nola Passmore is a freelance writer who has had more than 120 short pieces published in various magazines, journals and anthologies (including poetry, devotions, magazine articles, true stories and short fiction).  She and her husband Tim have just started their own freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish.  She loves writing about what God has done in her life and encouraging others to do the same.  (Some call it ‘nagging’, but she calls it encouragement).

http://www.thewriteflourish.com.au