Writing about faith

It is not easy to write about the contradictions in life's spiritual dimensions. They are best held lightly. Don't explain too much: 

        Joy does not equal happiness; it's deeper and different. 

        Hope is not the same as optimism; hope is what carries you when there is no room for optimism. 

        Light shines in darkness, both inside and out. 

        Grace is at work even as we are dying, our whole life long. 

        Somewhere, in some other dimension, there is the peace of God; yet we pray for peace on earth. 

Enough said. Hold these things lightly and don't explain too much. 

Write of paradox in the third person and let readers fill in their own story. It is good exercise to puzzle these things out. 

If you must write "I" and tell your truth, plumb carefully, probe and question. Search for what you truly are and own. Write what will invoke, not what you think will impress. 

Use few words, but strong images. 

Know when to stop.