Sharp Pens

Our generation is being stolen away. Entertainment has turned rotten. Many of us cannot stand to see the great evil that fills our bookstores and libraries. We frown and shake our heads in disgust, muttering under our breath as we scan the shelves. We groan when our friends tell us how much they enjoyed the latest 'bestseller', for we know the sin that is sandwiched inside the colorful cover. Our hearts are filled with sadness when we look for something - something that is worth the time it takes to read - and all we find are empty stories, filled with false hope and false promises.

Some people say that the pen is sharper than the sword. This is true. The sword can

conquer countries. It can hold a people captive and kill whomever it wishes. But the pen? The pen can do so much more. It can conquer the heart, change a mind, influence a generation. The pen is more powerful, sharper than any sword, because a pen can cut much deeper. It cuts to the soul. When we read stories, we put our time, our hope, our energy, into the characters. Their dreams become ours. With every word, every letter, we allow authors to put their ideas and beliefs into our hearts, souls and minds.

In communist Germany, they had an approved book list. The citizens of the country were only allowed to read the books on that list. Why? Because the leaders of the communist country knew that they could control what the people thought if they could control what the people read.

The pen is sharper than the sword.

We look around. We shake our head. We mutter. We groan. There is so much evil. Our entertainment is polluted.

SO WHAT?

Yes, you read that right. SO WHAT... are you going to do?

You hate all the junk that fills our shelves, but what can you do? You're just a teen. You cannot stand the evil, but what do you stand for? You know that the pen is sharper than the sword, but who cares? We don't write with pens anymore.

Does the story you're writing matter? Will it bring people closer to God or is it just

another empty novel, filled with false hope and false promises?

The questions above are hard. They hurt. We really don't want to think about it, but it's important. Daniel Schwabauer, MA, award-winning author and creator of the One Year Adventure Novel, teaches a lot about meaning. What's the point of writing if it doesn't mean anything?

What's the point of writing if it doesn't mean anything?

Yes, I meant to write that twice. What we think is just fun and games is serious. Every story has a meaning, a message behind it, whether we notice it or not. If something isn't supposed to mean anything, it means nothing. Nothing matters. Have fun. Live life the way you want to. There is no absolute truth. A big, empty nothing. Nothing. NOTHING. NOTHING.

Christ and the gospel have been left out of our entertainment, our stories, for far too long. We need to take a stand. We need to be the ones who say, "Enough!" Enough poison. Enough rot. Enough emptiness. We can't allow the enemy one more inch of ground. We can't let sin have another foothold in our society... or our lives.

We can't put a stop to all the evil, but we can make a difference. God has blessed us with opportunity. If the world is filled with darkness, it means our lights will shine brighter. We can't just stand against something anymore. It's time to stand for something. It's time to stand for meaning. It's time to stand for Truth. There is a battle being fought for the hearts, minds and souls of our generation. Many have gone before us, fighting with their writing. It is our turn to take up the pen. We must decide for ourselves what side we will take in this battle. And even while we decide, we must remember that Jesus said, "Whoever is not for Me is against Me."

We are young. SO WHAT? We have that much more time to learn and to make a

difference in the lives of the people around us. Let's stand together. Let's write stories that matter, that give people hope, that bring glory to our God. Let's write stories that mean something.

I will try and set aside fancy, colorful words because this is so important. We cannot

stand alone. One small candle sheds much light, but hundreds of candles fill the darkness and shine like a beacon on a hill. Our country, our world, need young writers who understand the power and the importance of story. We can't just write. We need to write with a driving fire, a passion to reach our generation. God is stirring in our hearts. We must stand strong and encourage each other so that our love, our light, and our stories will not grow cold.

It's time to take up the pen and stand.