Pandemic Frustrations

by Randy Petersen

Where are the words when I need them?

This is my first pandemic, and I’m frustrated. I want to help, but I’m not sure what to do. My stock in trade is language. I want to craft sentences that provide comfort or hope or clarity to those who need it. But I’m drawing a blank.

As a Christian writer, I feel even greater pressure. I am called to love others, and words are generally the way I do that. So where are the words now?

Maybe I’m just cranky because all my activities have been canceled and there are no sporting events on TV, but I do get tired of the platitudes. Facebook seems awash in shallow sentiment. I don’t want to add to the emptiness. Yes, I love the lyrics to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as much as any theater guy, but I long to create a new message for this unique time.

Is this just an inconvenient attack of writer’s block, or is there something about this crisis that disables creativity?

I know it’s absurd to complain about this, when my neighbors are troubled by illness and fears of illness, fears for loved ones, loss of jobs and income, the freefall of retirement savings, etc. No need to cry over my spilt mojo. But maybe you’re feeling something similar.

If so, my writing friends, let me share the things I’m telling myself.

Platitudes. I don’t like them, but most of them were created for times like this. And they carry enough truth that they often help people. For years, my pastor has said, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.” Now I want to hear that every day. So don’t be afraid of those truisms. Unpack them. Refresh them. But don’t dismiss them.

Permission. One of the most important things a communicator can do in a tough time is to give people permission to feel what they feel. This is especially true among Christians. Are you frightened? Depressed? Frustrated? Lonely? Angry with God? If you as a writer express your difficult feelings, you’ll have a host of readers thanking you for putting their confusion into words. Don’t tell folks how they should feel. Feel what you feel, and be honest about it.

Purpose. Writers often have a prophetic gift. Not predicting the future, but explaining the present in light of larger truths. The last word of the overquoted but always appropriate Romans 8:28 is purpose. We get to connect perplexing events with God’s purposes. Often people focus on each day’s troubles without seeing the growth that God intends.

Peace. We have the power to speak peace into troubled hearts. In the 1870s, a lawyer/poet named Horatio Spafford responded to a personal tragedy by penning “It is Well with My Soul,” and succeeding generations have found comfort in those lyrics. We can use our wordsmithing gifts to craft a deeply needed message of assurance. Avoid false promises—“It’ll all be over next week”—but keep offering the powerful promises God gives us. He will be with us, always, in this world and the next.

 

 

Speak. . . what?

 

At the end of King Lear, one character laments:

“The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”

How many philosophical debates has this passage sparked? When circumstances cause grief, should we react emotionally or rationally? How are we, as Christian writers, to use our words?

We’d love to hear how you’re coping with the current pandemic, particularly with regard to your writing. How do you decide whether you speak what you feel or what you ought to say? Please leave a comment below.

Be sure to check this spot again next Tuesday. Randy will share some more thoughts on what to do when our words have trouble flowing in times like these.

 

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Don’t miss: The Benefits of Being a Freelancer in a COVID-19 World

The Benefits of Being a Freelancer in a COVID-19 World

by Ann Byle

While the world reels thanks to a microscopic virus, we freelancers are in our element. Nobody is questioning our life choices anymore. In fact, we are about to become the experts on how to balance work and home. The benefits are legion.

1. The learning curve doesn’t exist. We figured this out long ago, so there’s no need to learn how to balance work and family. Been there, done that.
2. Introverts are no longer weird. Now that so many people are working from home, the world may finally get it. We like working this way, and that’s okay. As Jim Reeves sang, “Welcome to my world, won’t you come on in?” As long as you practice social distancing.
3. Our workspace is already set up. We’ve got our home office well organized, whether it’s a dedicated room, a corner, space under the stairs, or the recliner chair. We’ve got writing utensils, paper, space for a hot beverage, chargers, and dark chocolate all set.
4. We can do phone interviews with ease. We’ve been calling folks for interviews for years, so it’s no big deal to pick up the phone and talk, not text.
5. Email as a professional tool is old news. Freelancers have been emailing interview requests, professional communications, and queries to editors for as long as we’ve been working. Nothing new here.
6. Interruptions won’t kill us. Working from home can be an exercise in overcoming interruptions, but we’re used to it whether from humans or animals. We simply move on and keep writing.
7. We can provide excellent content without interruption. Our work continues because content is still king. While our editors may be moving home, they still need the content we provide in a timely manner. We’ve done so for years and that’s not about to stop.

While our worlds may not have changed that much, let us keep others and their needs in our hearts and prayers.