Into the Fire

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Balanced . . .

 

You tell me: where's the balance? Some of us express our frustrations with reserve, mindful of others' opposite opinions. Others of us use the no-holds-barred approach in examination. In that approach there are no language barriers or courtesy concerns. There's just the opinion.

We face this dilemma as bloggers, as interviewers, as reviewers, as conversationalists, and as writers. How much is too much and when is it not enough?

I've done my share of criticizing Christian Fiction and the publishing industry. And I have no plans of abandoning the genre in reading or writing because there are some amazing artists who write in the CBA just as there are those who write in the ABA.

I have no problem with publishing houses establishing their primary clientele and producing fiction to fit and suit their audience. And I have no problem with those houses who use their imprints to "disguise" a broader appeal or seek that larger audience.

I'm beginning to think my primary problem is with intolerant readers who either mistakenly or deliberately pick up a novel that absolutely won't appeal to their desires for reading material and decide to express their utter dismay that a Christian could've written such a book. And choose to do it on Amazon or any public forum.

Yes, I do have a problem with those readers. If they wish to express their distaste or dislike for such a novel, they need to be forthright enough to say this isn't one they would normally read and not assume that whoever else enjoys the book is hellbent.

 

Father, help us to walk our talk, to be the ones you want us to be, to not constantly assess others as they walk with you but work on our own inabilities. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

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4 responses to “Balanced . . .”

  1. Jessica Thomas Avatar
    Jessica Thomas

    I haven’t had the opportunity to get burned in a reader review. However, I will admit, on the blogger front and writer front, I’ve become more skiddish. Second guessing myself more. Should I say this? Should I say that? Will I lose potential readers if I blog about this topic? Should I remain light hearted or is it okay to get serious? It’s getting a bit annoying to be honest, and I don’t know whether to blame myself or the politically correct culture in which we live. Or to just accept that I’m trying to run a business here, not necessarily a ministry, so certain rules must apply. (Or must they? And do I really want my writing to be “just” a business? Ack! See what I mean? My brain’s all over the place.)
    I’m alarmed by some of the hate speech I see directed toward Christians, which is a major reason why I feel skiddish, I think. As the reasoning goes, it’s okay to be hateful toward us, because we’re such a “hateful” bunch. Oh how I tire of faulty logic. Luckily we aren’t being truly persecuted for our faith yet in this country, but the trend is definitely disturbing, and I find myself asking whether the best approach is to express my Christianity plainly, or whether to express it somewhat “covertly” (through themes and symbols in my writing) in hopes someone might secretly accept the message.
    Okay, I’m done rambling. 🙂

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  2. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    I think expressing the heart of your feelings and concerns merits attention when blogging or writing. What do you really want to say? Is it so serious that a forceful approach is necessary? Is it nonsensical enough that humor is required? What would the Lord have you do and how will you do it according to His desires for you. “For You” is what no one else can determine. Any way of presenting your heart can plant the seed(s) of interest. PC should not be a real concern in the sense of what you can express but merely how you express it.
    Be who YOU are, Jess. Who God made you to be. And though that’s an ever-changing individual as age and life experiences generally contribute to common wisdom, asking for God’s wisdom can be the solution to those times when the best decision in what to write and how to write it must be achieved.
    Just my thoughts on the matter, Jess.

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  3. Ondrej Avatar
    Ondrej

    There are always two basic ways how you can express disagreement – like a prick or like a human being. Regardless of faith, regardless of the country or environment people live in, there are pricks and intelligent people all over the world…

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  4. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Stated in no uncertain terms, Ondrej. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. You’re right by the way. Add to your “regardless of”: gender, albeit your terminology might not be complicit. 😉

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