The Hover Manoeuvre

 

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As writers, our pens and keyboards are our mouthpieces, and just as ‘death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21), so too are death and life in the power of everything we scribble or tap out, often with little thought.

It seems to me that social media encourages some fairly loose tongues to be converted to some equally destructive words on the screen. The effect is often instant and, once out there in cyber-space, it’s hard to take those words back or pretend the comment was never made. A quick search through someone’s social media posts can reveal much about a person’s attitudes. It’s a snapshot of the soul. And that should give us pause for thought.

 

 

It should also keep our fingers hovering above the keyboard until we’ve thought through our reactive responses. It’s so much easier to blurt out an indignant comeback when we’re not up close and personal with our alleged adversaries. Anonymity gives us false security and an overinflated sense of our own outrage and courage. Keyboard warriors abound and sadly, Christians are not exempt.

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In the current state of a country (indeed, a world) under significant stress, I am witnessing more and more people being attacked over their differing political and social views. Disagreement is fine. Judgement is not. Ridicule is not. Insults and put downs are definitely a no-go area, and unfounded accusations and outright abuse are serious boundary transgressions. They hurt! Scripture is extremely clear on this point.

James 1:26 speaks out strongly!

‘If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.’

 

 Proverbs 15:1 makes our responsibility clearer still.

‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’

 

Does it mean we need to be silent on important issues? Not at all.

Anger, in and of itself, is not sin. The way we express it, however, can be, and too often is. I wish I could say I’m not guilty of this particular transgression but I am. I confess I’m extremely frustrated with people posting about their inalienable rights to not wear a mask, use social distancing and hand sanitizer, and to flout the gathering size regulations, all requirements that have entered our reality since the advent of COVID19. If you could only hear the words buffeting around inside my head as I hover my hands over the keyboard, you might be a little shocked.

Ten years ago, I’d have ‘let rip’. And, shamefully, I may even have been proud of it, as difficult as it is to admit. These days I hover (mostly) and if, as I wrestle with myself, I can’t find a way to righteously express myself, I scroll on by. Not every post needs my questionable wisdom. It’s been a long and winding road, and one I see so many people, Christian or otherwise, struggle to navigate.

I’ve found the following Scripture from Romans 12:20 particularly reassuring. It strengthens my resolve.

‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’

 

What if we witness a brother or sister mocking, judging or belittling someone who holds different views, on social media?

Galatians 6:1, directs us as follows:

‘Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.’

It’s not easy to find the right balance and sometimes, no matter which approach we use, it will fall on deaf ears and the online abuse will continue. What to do then? It seems harsh, but here it is.

Proverbs 22:10:

‘Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarrelling and abuse will cease.’

Clearly, when push comes to shove, abuse is not to be tolerated.  Do your best and if all else fails, hit that ‘unfriend’ button and reclaim your peace. But don’t forget to hover first. We might later regret a hasty decision and it will certainly be awkward to explain. Tricky, isn’t it?

Happy hovering!

Melinda Jensen

 

Melinda Jensen has blogged extensively on emotional and psychological abuse and is currently enjoying a sea change from writing fiction to writing non-fiction, self-development books. Who'd have thought? A keen student of human nature, she's had articles, short stories and poetry published in a variety of magazines, newspapers and journals, having juggled single-motherhood and chronic illness for about 25 years. She's still almost sane and definitely has a heart for God and a yearning to bring a couple of books to fruition this year. Apart from that, she's besotted with cats, makes jolly good fudge and is living her dream on an acre and a half of beautiful soil bordering rainforest. On that note, she’s extremely passionate about the natural environment God has gifted us all with.

 

 

Meet Our Members: Melinda Jensen

On Thursdays we will be interviewing one of the members of Christian Writers Downunder – to find out a little bit more about them and their writing/editing goals.

Today’s interview: Melinda Jensen

Question 1: Tell us three things about yourself.

Who am I and where do I come from? Hmmm…let’s start with the basics. I’m an Aussie mother of two strong young women, a grandmother of two talented kids (blatant nanna bias) and a pretty ordinary human who has lived with a painful and debilitating illness since 1995. That’s the first thing.

And then, I’m an unashamed feminist in a world that finds feminists embarrassing at best, and demonic at worst, but true feminine strength is something I believe Jesus held very dear. He treated women tenderly and with infinite understanding and respect.

Thirdly, of course…well, I’m a writer, though I can’t claim to have yet published a book. I have had poetry, newspaper articles and some pithy (I hope!) short stories published in fiction magazines. 

I’m going to be cheeky and add a ‘fourth thing’. I’m absolutely passionate about the environment and my commitment to being a good steward over our earth infiltrates every aspect of my living, including my writing.

Question 2: Tell us about your writing (or editing/illustrating etc). What do you write and why?

For much of last year, I concentrated on a work of non-fiction, a process that was temporarily disrupted by having to evacuate my home because of Australia’s devastating bushfires. I’m very thankful we came out of it completely unscathed.

The topic of the book is going to sound truly boring - budgeting - but I’m writing in a light-hearted way, giving lots of practical tips on shopping, budget ideas for entertaining, saleable crafts and lots more, even cheap wine that’s cheap, but not nasty. And I’m peppering it with sketches of my own as illustrations. It’s a fun process and I hope people have fun reading it.

As for why I write, I think it’s probably twofold. Writing’s always been the subject I’ve been best at – since primary school, in fact. And I find it therapeutic. I get into the ‘zone’ when I write (and paint/sketch) that I can’t achieve with other activities. I figure that God planted the talent and desire in me from my very beginnings…and who am I to argue with that?

Also close to my heart is my blog on domestic violence which has been on the back-burner for some time now but for many years was my passion and, I hope, a source of education, comfort and encouragement for a few precious souls. I expect to continue blogging on the topic in the not-too-distant future.

Question 3: Who has read your work? Who would you like to read it?

I guess quite a few people in the general public have read a couple of my published short stories, which appeared in a popular mag. Some of my poetry has been published online and in printed anthologies so it’s hard to say who might have come across them, but there’s been a smattering of interest, at least. The same applies to newspaper articles. My blog on domestic violence has over 500 followers, all of them victims of psychologically, emotionally and/or physically violent partners. And there was a time a few of Toowoomba’s infamous ‘Quirky Quills’ had a gander at my writing, too, and all of them have been very encouraging and supportive, as has the whole CWD crew.

With regard to the book I’m currently writing, the people I’d really like to read it are those who need it most. We have a growing crisis in Australia (in addition to the drought and the fires), and it’s a crisis defined by the high number of people living well below the poverty line, by affordable housing shortages, an aging population and a number of other mitigating factors. Homelessness is on the rise, particularly among women over 55 who are then vulnerable to sexual assault and physical violence. As I’ve had intimate experience of living well below the poverty line, raising two children on my own and with a chronic health issue, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to live a happy and fulfilling life despite severe budget limitations. I want to be able to give people who are struggling a little hope and a little practical advice.

Of course, I’d be absolutely delighted if my book was read by the likes of Helen Garner, Ruth Park and Jackie French…Jackie French particularly as her style resonates with my own.

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

My writing process is a bit piecemeal. I’m somewhere in between a pantster and a planner. Generally, I’ll write furiously when the ideas are flowing are and the words come easily; then take it slowly during the inevitable lulls. During those times, I research, take notes, edit and sometimes just write anything and everything to get the juices flowing again.

My biggest challenge is my health. I require a lot of sleep and a very calm, quiet environment in order to optimise my good days. Even on good days, I rarely have more than four hours in which I’m not too debilitated to be productive, and there’s so much to cram into those few hours! It’s a constant balancing act. Today, I might sweep the floor, then do some research. Tomorrow I might do a couple of loads of washing and muck about with illustrations. In short, I hasten slowly. I live by my late father’s words, ‘The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get’, which I think he filched from the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. 

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why?

I’m not sure I have a favourite writing craft book. I’ve learned a lot by searching online and also from having done a short course with the Writers Bureau. I highly recommend it.

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

I have to say I’ve gained such a lot of insight from Anne Hamilton’s books, of which I’ve read four and intend to read the rest! I’ve loved Adele Jones’ ‘Integrate’ series and have also enjoyed David Bennett’s thought provoking, thoroughly researched work. I’m keen to read more.

And I absolutely cannot express the profound comfort brought to me by Anusha Atukorala’s beautifully penned devotionals.

There are so many other talented CWD writers whose books I haven’t yet read and when I do, I’ll likely want to list them among my favourites.

Question 7: What are your writing goals for 2020? How will you achieve them?

I’m keeping my goals focussed on the non-fiction work I mentioned earlier. I have a tendency to allow myself to be spread around too many ‘projects’, resulting in none of them coming to fruition. I really want to get my book to the first draft stage before the end of 2020 and it will take discipline for me not to distract myself with the myriad writing ideas that seem to shuffle around inside my head. I’ll certainly be asking God for His guidance. And asking family to hold me accountable.

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

That’s an interesting question. I think of myself as a bit of a fringe-dweller in that I don’t feel compelled to write only for Christians, or even to craft my writing in an overtly Christian way. That way, I feel I can reach people from outside Christian circles and perhaps plant a seed. My values, drawn from my faith, underpin all my writing. I keep things gentle, compassionate, inclusive and just. Christ’s heart for the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged is very much my own. I prefer to ‘love’ first, put my values into action and then, if the opportunity arises, I’ll share my faith.

Melinda Jensen has blogged extensively on emotional and psychological abuse and is currently enjoying a sea change from writing fiction to writing non-fiction, self-development books. Who'd have thought? A keen student of human nature, she's had articles, short stories and poetry published in a variety of magazines, newspapers and journals, having juggled single-motherhood and chronic illness for about 24 years. She's still almost sane and definitely has a heart for God and a yearning to bring a couple of books to fruition this year. Apart from that, she's besotted with cats, makes jolly good fudge and is desperately trying to keep her garden alive in the drought. On that note, she’s extremely passionate about the natural environment God has gifted us all with.

Talents? What talents?

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I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with money and am not a subscriber to the prosperity gospel, which has gained significant momentum during the past decade or two. It seems to me that prosperity teachings often place too much emphasis on financial gain for its adherents, instead of giving the glory, and the gain, to God.

Motivation is the lynch pin. If we’re motivated by God’s promptings and our love for our Lord, then any gains that ensue, whether personal or generalized to the community, are pleasing to our Father. I highly suspect that He is further pleased if those gains are in our spiritual development.

If, however, we’re motivated by personal gain – the almighty dollar, status and/or power, for instance – God sees our heart and grieves. God has never been pleased with avarice.
Prosperity gospels take this avarice one step further, however, by using prayer and scripture as a kind of magic. Words can be manipulated into ‘spells’ with relative ease.

And hence my uneasy relationship with money.

In more recent years, though, I’ve noted that not all devoted and genuine Christians hover as closely to the poverty line as I have always done. At first, I thought God had simply chosen to bless them in this manner more than He has blessed me…and I’ve been okay with that. The wind blows where it will, after all. (Alright, let me be perfectly frank, there have been a few times when I’ve pitched headlong into a full-blown pity-party, at least for a few minutes, but I do try awfully hard to snap out of it.)

After a fortuitous conversation with a beautiful Christian woman several weeks ago, it dawned on me that I’ve been missing something vitally important all these years. And it all boils down to a deeper understanding of scripture, specifically, the Parable of the Talents.
The Parable of the Talents, as many of you will recall, appears twice in the synoptic gospels of the New Testament. (Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-27)

In both Matthew and Luke, a master puts three of his servants in charge of his finances while he travels further afield. To each he gives a specific amount without any instruction about how to handle it.

‘To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another, one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.’     Matthew 25

(Note: As it happens, a ‘talent’ is worth a great deal of money in today’s terms – according to my research it’s equal to approximately 1.5million US dollars!)

When the master returns home he asks each of his servants what they’ve done with the money he entrusted to them. It’s clear he expected some profit from the servants’ stewardship and he compensates them accordingly. To the two servants who doubled their profits, he gives rich reward but to the servant who played it safe and made no attempt to grow his riches, he meters out a negative compensation.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/gameanna

As with all the parables, Jesus is attempting to teach us a spiritual truth here and it’s definitely not just about money. Everything we have comes from God, be it dollars in the bank, our homes and possessions, our talent for writing (or painting, or woodwork or cooking – the list is endless), or our spiritual gifts. And our Master is waiting patiently for us to make the most of what we have; not to merely hoard it and look after it, but to use it wisely and watch it grow. For HIM.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/nalinratphi

 

We’re writers, you and I, and I’ve come rather late to the party in that I’m only just realizing that God wants me to step up, to take a few risks, to get out there amongst it and get some books happening! In other words, I need to be head down and tail up as often as time permits. No more procrastination. No more false humility. No more finding a myriad more chores that need to be attended to first.

Many of you are already accomplished writers and continue to be an ever-present source of inspiration and encouragement. Your words have fed my soul. I’ve been given much, it seems, and it’s about time I gave God some return on His investment.

Hmmm…it’s been a sobering realization and also a precious one. (And while I think of it, it’s probably also a good time to refinance that mortgage of mine!)

Melinda Jensen blogs extensively on emotional and psychological abuse and is currently enjoying a sea change from writing fiction to writing non-fiction, self-development books. Who'd have thought? A keen student of human nature, she's had articles, short stories and poetry published in a variety of magazines, newspapers and journals, having juggled single-motherhood and chronic illness for about 24 years. She's still almost sane and definitely has a heart for God and a yearning to bring a couple of books to fruition this year. Apart from that, she's besotted with cats, makes jolly good fudge and is desperately trying to keep her garden alive in the drought.