In this week’s Daily Post Weekly Writing Challenge: Stylish Imitation, I literally freaked and thought, no way, this is too difficult a challenge. The first question asked that you tell about a writer whose style most influenced your writing voice.
This question left me afraid because I do not know my writing voice! I am so embarrassed to admit this! This is shameful on my part but thankfully, I do know what I am not, that is, I cannot write in the epic styles found in writers like Leo Tolstoy or James A. Michener. I am so in awe with anyone that can write a book like, War and Peace or Michener’s, Texas.
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As the challenge probed me to think deeper into what my writing voice actually sounds like, I discovered the one author whom, from the time I read, From the Angel’s Blackboard–The Best of Fulton J. Sheen, I knew, profound writing, in a simple, straightforward fashion, was possible.
For example, Fulton Sheen wrote, “I feel it is time that I pay tribute to my four writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”
Just like that, no fancy words or hard to understand churchy words, just, “…it is time that I pay tribute…four writers…”
So, as I continue to search out my writing voice, let me pay tribute, in my amateurish and shallow in comparison way, to the four five writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Fulton, by briefly writing out some of my feelings about the tragic day, September 11.
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Brothers and sisters: How can one begin to understand, on this day, September 11, these words found in Sacred Scriptures:
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who hurt you…Love your enemies! Do good to them.” (Luke 6: 27-28 and 35)
As I read these words, and thought about the tragedy of 9-11, I admit, I found these words very difficult to ponder upon much less think to put into practice.
I am shouting: HOW DOES ONE LEARN TO FORGIVE?!?
“God, they took down so many lives, left so many hurting, and you ask that I bless, love, do good and forgive them?”
The first certified victim, labeled 0001, was Father Mychal Judge. Oh, right, he was an imperfect person, with personal struggles all his own, but, he bravely went in as the chaplain for the firefighters and became the first, out of hundreds who lost their lives that fall morning.
WHY this nightmare?? God, please, I need your light to understand where to go from here. A poetic writer, Caddo Veil, poignantly wrote, “God, be present and redeem…”
Finally, while struggling with my lack of forgiveness, I did find rays of hope shining through, first from John 16:33, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Second, in Fulton Sheen’s simple, yet profound words, “To believe in God is to throw ourselves in God’s arms; to hope in God is to rest in His heart in patience amid trials and tribulations, to love God is to be with God through a participation of His divine nature through grace.”
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God, help me to believe and forgive through all circumstances.
In honor of those who lost their lives on September 11 and to all who are left to carry on in their memory…
I pray.
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