Think before you rant

In the wake of last week's presidential election, social media sites are ablaze with emotional outbursts from the millions of Americans who ache to put in their two cents. Everyone is in reactionary mode, their keyboards spewing superlatives over circumstances that have been deemed either unacceptable, unexpected, or undeniable. Those who resisted commenting on the election are now finding themselves provoked to defend their beliefs against the "ranters."

You know the ranters. You know if you are one of them. Ranters are those people who find it necessary to convert the majority of their private thoughts into social media posts. There are many excuses reasons for public ranting: hope of persuasion, freedom of expression, show of superiority, loneliness, outlet for anger, and the list goes on and on. I think we can all admit that we've fallen victim to ranting at one time or another, even if we managed to abstain from recent political arguments.

One thing I noticed today about ranting: it alienates people.

Have you ever ranted about something that was important to you on Facebook, subconsciously hoping to win over some "lost souls" to your cause? Maybe, if just one or two people thought you made a really awesome point, the seed might be planted in their minds toward change. Every "like" or "love" that flowed in really bolstered your self-esteem, didn't it?

Now think about this.

How many people did you alienate with your words?

When you commented on something to the tune of, "People who think or do or say such-and-such are not okay in my book" (and you definitely had a few specific names in mind when you wrote it), did you stop to think that you were pushing those people further away from you?

Lately I've been very hurt and very alienated by the words of loved and respected ones that were not necessarily meant for me. While dear ones yearned for the online world to know their thoughts, I was struck by how much they valued their "freedom of speech" over their personal relationships with me.

The truly ironic part of it is how strong the outcry has been recently for equality of every kind; for inclusion; for tolerance; for hospitality; for kindness; for generosity. But the same people who rally for peace also make it very clear that my opinions and feelings are not valid. We must accept the outliers and anomalies of society, but because I align with the majority of Americans, I must be a narrow-minded bigot by default. As a believer in Christ, I have to accept that this will always be the case and that it will only grow worse over time. But that doesn't really make it hurt any less.

I'm encouraging you today to consider your tweets and your Facebook posts and do a little introspective work. Who have you alienated today with your words? Strive to be the voice of real peace, who seeks to include rather than to divide. Strive to serve others by showing that you care for your relationships more than the opportunity to speak your mind. At the end of the day, people's opinions are what they are, but relationships can be torn apart by a few hurtful phrases. Are you willing to put your most valued relationships at risk?

There is one whose rash words are like a sword thrust, 
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18

Writer's Block

I stare at the computer screen. Blank. My mind is blank. Around me are the familiar and monotonous sounds of home: the hum of the dishwasher, the voices of little boys negotiating the arrangement of Legos on our coffee table, toys rattling, limbs clunking against furniture. I block it out most of the time, but when I really want to focus on something like writing, that’s when I most notice them. My brain and my fingers and my easily-manipulated emotions ache to spin words into a brilliant work that will cause others’ emotions to ache the same way, but all I can do is sit here and stare at the screen. Blank.

            When I read, my mind comes alive with excitement to produce, but never with anything specific. Most times I want to extend the lives of the characters I am reading. I want to create the moments I have longed for them to experience but never get to read. I yearn for happy endings that didn’t materialize on the page. I feel as though there are deep, insightful, thriving characters that lie, unhatched, in the recesses of my imagination. They peek into my dreams at night and dabble in ribald adventures of my subconscious. If I could somehow hook up a recording system to my brain when I sleep, Hollywood would sit back in awe at its contents. I wish that I could get some of this out when I’m awake.

            I mull over characters I’ve tried to develop in previous stories. They are mediocre, one-dimensional beings that never seem to have any goals beyond simple romance. Recently I read that the best and most memorable characters are the ones who portray quintessential traits. They embody the extremes of humanity – anger, beauty, long-suffering, selflessness, bravery, skill, brutality, charm, etc. I would like to create a person who is equally extreme, but I feel like all of the possibilities have already been covered. Do I want to introduce the world to another beautiful but slight heroine who rises from poverty to material or emotional riches through her resolve and mental fortitude? How will she be different from Anne Shirley, Katniss Everdeen, Tris Pryor, Elizabeth Bennett, Elisa Lindheim, Laura Ingalls, Jane Stewart, and all the other women of fiction? What trials will she have to endure to make her lovable and believable? How will I bring about those trials organically without making them seem too convenient?

            Blank.

            Another challenge: do I want to include spirituality? I so admire the way that Brock and Bodie Thoene incorporate the Bible and God and the Holy Spirit into their stories quite seamlessly, enriching the reader’s faith without sacrificing the quality of the plot. I would LOVE to write that way. Usually it seems easier to leave out that aspect completely, because it’s so hard not to be cheesy or superficial. But if I’m not focused on the Kingdom, then what really is my purpose in writing? To impress myself? To impress others? Entertainment? Simply to check a goal off my personal bucket list? For that matter, does fiction have any eternal value? If it doesn’t, why do I feel so passionate about it?

            Blank.