I'm writing for my local paper now!

[iota]

Okay, today I emailed a letter to the editor of the newspaper in my town regarding an article written by a pastor in which he was basically promoting "sin management" instead of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I've been asked to write a regular column now on the religion page.  So I need your help.  
If you could write a column that would be read by unbelievers...how would you make it relevant?  I'm thinking Buechner, that type of wishful thinking/whistling in the dark/peculiar treasures stuff.  What should I kick it off with?

[Josh]

Congratulations! That's terrific, dude!

A few thoughts...

1. Your column will suffer if you set out with an agenda. Don't be propagandistic. Just focus on writing a good column, and your faith will shine through.

2. Make sure you're never judgemental.

Modelling it after some of Buechner's stuff might not be a bad idea. My heroes in the realm of literature and poetry- Bono, Tolkien, O'Connor- are all writers that were able to be blatantly Christian without turning anybody off from the Gospel, so studying their work is always a good idea.

Let us know how it works out!

[DvChWi]

I was thinking a C.S. Lewis style approach would be good.  Very practical, well explained ideas.

[Vlad!]

I'm thinking that a focus on relevant, applicable, and current stuff would be best. Mark writes a column for the Base about noticing God in the real world and what actions we should take to follow him without being distracted, and I think that's a good premise--not just esoteric, pie-in-the-sky stuff but actual real discussion based on life in modern society.

For a kickoff, why not expand on the very letter you wrote--discuss why the Bible still matters, why you think the post-modern worldview doesn't have the answers, and how God is relevant and availaible to the modern world.

Good luck, and congratulations!

[kelliBJo]

  I'm thinking Buechner, that type of wishful thinking/whistling in the dark/peculiar treasures stuff. 

yes yes and yes.       did i mention i love buechner? ok.

that's awesome you get to do that.. i say, just go for whatever is in you that you feel needs to be heard... don't make it too structured; be random.  and relevant, of course.  

but maybe that's just me.

when you write something, you could post it here; it'd be fun to see what you did.  

[iota]

[beautifulmess]

Wow. That's some great stuff.  

[Vlad!]

Iota, that's very powerful. The paper you're writing for did well to offer you this column. My only question is, since you can produce writing like that, why you needed our help on it

Keep it up, bro.  

[kelliBJo]

that was awesome.