A Letter to a Young(er) Christian Writer - Part 1

Recently, I've come into contact with a number of younger Evangelical Christians who are interested in pursuing a career in writing TV, film and media. This has caused me to think what advice I'd offer such people. And here is the beginnings of that, in the form of a letter (I am, after all, a writer...).


Dear friend,

What do you think you're doing? It sounds like a confrontational way of talking, doesn't it, but that's the written word for you. Tone is everything - well, not everything - but the question "What do you think you're doing?" evokes a feeling of rebukes and hands on hips.

And yet this is a question for which you must have an answer if you want to be a writer and an Evangelical Christian. There are a number of reasons why it is important to know what you're doing.

The first is that Evangelical Christians, for all their joy and contentment, love to complain about television, films and computer games. It's understandable. I complain about all of those things at times. 85% of TV is unnecessary or unjustifiable. But if you are associated with these forms of media, you will sometimes feel obliged to defend them. No-one can defend Britain's Got Talent and nor should they. It's pretty vile, although that's not to say that no Christian can work on that show any less that a Christian could be a centurion in the Roman Army. Banks lend money to people we may not like, but it doesn't mean you can't bank with them or work for them - although sometimes it may. But you need to be aware that as a Christian in the media, you will attract comments, concerns and criticism from usually well-meaning, sometimes poorly thought-through, occasionally sanctimonious Christians. That's why you need to know what you're doing.

The second is that 'storytelling' does not seem all that useful in these utilitarian times. Christians love doctors, nurses, teachers and carers in general, because they help people in an obvious way. Christians don't mind bankers and lawyers as long as the give the church their money. Christians quite like public servants because they have the word 'public' in the title which sounds good. I exaggerate and paint with a broad brush - but what you're doing, or proposing to do, doesn't seem to them to be all that useful. It's storytelling. Who needs stories? Who really needs films? TV is, at best, a waste of time.

Naturally, I would argue that stories are essential. The Bible is mostly story. The Gospel is a story. Jesus tells stories. We are relational beings who are people-centred, not command-centred. So we shouldn't be surprised that humans are addicted to stories. But this is not obviously true to many. And Evangelical Christians are often those who prioritise evangelism - which is about explaining truth, not telling stories, it is thought. If you can tell stories, if you're good with words and all that - be a preacher, surely? Or an evangelist? If you're not going to be a preacher, or an evangelist, you need to know why. So let's have a think about that over the coming letters.

Yours,

jc