Touching the Right Notes

Ted Dekker has become one of my favorite authors. A fitting complement to Frank Peretti, Dekker made his mark in suspense thrillers with deep Christian context, sometimes allegorical and sometimes overt. And while that label may prompt some to spurn his works, I personally think that would be a mistake. I am convinced that even the unbeliever would enjoy his novels, for Dekker's storytelling is superb. I am very much looking forward to the release of Green.

Reading his blog the other day, I caught this little nugget of insight:

"It has been said that words are one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. In that they allow us to scratch the surface of an idea and to share that experience with a limited group of others… yes, words are invaluable. But without the incarnation of idea, words are hardly more than mathematical symbols. They are, in fact, rather blunt instruments that often get in the way of true magic."

Indeed, I resonate with this. While storytelling such as that created by the likes of bestselling authors is far beyond my reach, the essence of using words to convey Truth in ways that touch the heart and spirit of another is clearly what I aspire to do. I marvel at those who do it well. When my 9-year old son plays the piano, he does so with a touch that I can never hope to master. Writers who are gifted with the ability to convey the experience of an idea in a manner that fully engages the reader do so by using words and phrases to touch all the right notes.

Using words to express the facts of Truth isn't all that difficult. But using words to convey the power and spirit of Truth, getting past all the defenses and arguments that seek to distort, that takes something more: it takes a gift from above.