By David Hegg
If my count is correct, I’m closing in on my 840th column for The Signal. From time to time I’m asked what it’s like to put my thoughts “out there” for all to read. So, here goes.
Writing consistently under the pressure of a deadline is both a privilege and a burden. It is a privilege to have a small platform from which to cast my opinions into the lives of thousands. It is also humbling, and not a little bit frightening, to start a conversation knowing I’ll seldom, if ever, finish it with my readers. Lastly, it can be hurtful to be misunderstood, misconstrued and misjudged by anonymous, faceless adversaries, some of whom would violently disagree if I said the sky were blue.
But such is the lot of the opinion columnist. And, by the way, these are opinions … my opinions. That’s all they are. This space isn’t filled with doctoral-level research, duly footnoted and properly argued. It just presents my opinions, offered in the marketplace of ideas to foster reflection and, hopefully, profitable discourse. And that is, indeed, a privilege.
Yet it is also a burden to meet a weekly deadline to write something coherent and intriguing in 750 words, 52 weeks a year. This is not to say I ever begrudge the opportunity. Frankly, I love to write, and I so appreciate The Signal allowing me to do so. The burden of a weekly obligation demands a kind of discipline that is necessary in almost every other area of my life. Writing a weekly column is a burden, but in some ways it’s as much a weight as wings are to a bird.
Yet even birds can damage their wings, turning the freedom of flight into plain old hard work. Writing can be that way. Choosing a topic, arranging words into sentences, and then into paragraphs, can be a confusing, frustrating adventure, especially under pressure. But then comes the breakthrough, and the column begins to write itself.
As a writer, I accept the burden that comes with the privilege. I find the discipline of writing a great personal benefit. It gives me a creative outlet. The writing process is like any other artistic endeavor, requiring you to combine various elements into a purposeful whole. Painters use color, architects use design, and writers use words. And while you’ll never see any of my sentences hanging in a gallery, every writer knows the satisfaction of churning out a well-crafted, truth-carrying sentence that beckons the reader to lean into the argument.
But if I were only writing for personal joy, I wouldn’t put my thoughts out into the coliseum as food for the lions. The primary reason I craft a column every week is to challenge you – the reader – to think more deeply about something important.
Our society has become addicted to reaction rather than reflection. We are instant responders, too often shouting the first thing that comes to mind instead of examining things more closely. We’ve become a nation of screamers, with outrage being our drink of choice. We ignore context, misinterpret quickly, and are thirsty to condemn. Above all, we are often unwilling to listen carefully, understand fully, or reflect deeply, and as a result, we cannot respond thoughtfully.
The problems our nation faces are not simple, and the solutions will never be found on the surface. We can never analyze complexity correctly with impassioned rants and dismissive slogans. What comes easily almost always falls short, especially when we try to unravel the kinds of messes we’re facing as a society. We need to be great thinkers to be a great people.
So, here’s my advice. Become a columnist yourself. I’m not suggesting you find a print outlet for your thoughts, but I do challenge you to write. Get out your pen and paper, or keyboard, weekly, and share your opinions. Think some good thoughts, organize some good sentences, and pour your mind onto paper.
If you do, two things might happen. First, you may push yourself to think in different and deeper ways. Second, you may find a bit more compassion in your heart toward those who put their hearts out there in print, week after week.
Local resident David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church. “Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays.
