“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” Spoken by Nikos Kazantzakis, these thirteen words encompass the complete answer to the question: Why write? Writing should cause readers to respond, by allowing readers to see themselves, society, and the world with a different set of eyes. As a Christian, my writing is necessarily informed by my faith of over sixty years. Does this mean I read anything other than Christian books? By no means! As I live out my life according to my faith, I recognize that I’m not here on earth to tell others how to live their lives. I’m here to live my life as I believe God sees fit. Part of this belief is to understand other world viewpoints, even as I continue my own journey of Christian faith.
Throughout history, writing has served as a catalyst for change in the world, changing the eyes of readers to see more than the reader’s personal reality. The invention of the Gutenberg printing press in the 1400s suddenly made it possible for printed material to be distributed to the largely uneducated masses of people in a unique way. The reduced cost of books due to the mass production and the availability of books in general put the written word into the hands of the middle class, making education and literacy possible for classes other than just the nobility. New literacy and new ideas could now be considered and explored. New readers who previously relied upon the parish priest or the lord of the manor for information could now see their world with a different set of eyes. The printing of the Gutenberg Bible allowed more of the public to read the Bible for themselves. In 1517, the priest Martin Luther initiated the Protestant reformation by the hanging of the “Ninety-Five Theses” on the church door at Wittenberg, Germany. In this document, Luther outlined the practices in the Roman Catholic Church he felt were unbiblical. The result of Luther’s document was to open the eyes of so many to his viewpoint that the church was changed forever as readers changed their viewpoint of Catholicism. Luther is called “The Father of the Protestant Reformation.” The written word had power and knowledge and an exciting time for a society that could now examine new ways of thinking developed. Writing could be a catalyst for thought.
Writing in today’s world is equally exciting. The ability to examine the thoughts of others is critical to our understanding of a world that changes rapidly and contains many societal norms, religions, and cultures. While journalism first comes to mind as a source for these eye-changing reality encounters, there are other writings that are often overlooked as sources for opening our eyes to the perspective of others.
Autobiographical and historical non-fiction genres provide varying points of view that allow readers to respond in ways that challenge traditional societal traditions. The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank and The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom are examples of autobiographical writings about the invasion of the Netherlands by the Nazis during World War II. Frank’s book gives chilling and intricate details from the standpoint of a young teenage Jewish girl in hiding. Though Frank died in the concentration camps, her written words are living proof of the suffering of Jews rampant at that time. Ten Boom, who was released from a concentration camp due to a clerical error, tells the story of that same time period in a different way. She worked in the underground of Amsterdam, hiding Jews in her home. Her story from the perspective of a Christian, who was deported to the camps for hiding Jews, is moving. Night by Elie Wiesel, a graphic autobiography of life in the concentration camps from the standpoint of a Jew and Auschwitz, a historical non-fiction book by Laurence Rees that examines Hitler’s rise to power and his plans to exterminate non-Aryan peoples, present the persecution of Jews during World War II from diverse viewpoints, but the same premise holds true: Writing changes the eyes’ vision of reality to inspire new viewpoints. Books such as these have caused the Holocaust to be remembered all over the world. Readers responded by acting to prevent a recurrence of the Holocaust and by acknowledging the prejudice against the Jews. Today, groups fighting for the rights of others in countries where genocide is still practiced are additional, long-range responses to the tragedy of the Holocaust.
The genres of autobiographies, historical non-fiction and journalism are not the only way to change “the eyes which see reality.” Fiction is a genre that is a catalyst for change. Roots, by Alex Haley gives a new look at slavery’s effects in the USA. Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby provide a look at the post World War I mindset of those described as “a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein. Though these novels are fiction, they give a fresh look at historical time periods while communicating eternal truths of humanity. Authors Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir contributed writings that explored sexuality and mental illness, opening the eyes of readers to topics that had previously been considered taboo. As time passes, readers can respond with a more compassionate look at those affected by racial, gender, or sexual prejudice, war, and mental illness.
Opening readers’ eyes to cultural differences through the written word is important in our world today. Even as technology allows readers to access many types of information, a misunderstanding of the context of information causes readers to view culture and religions through a lens of distortion. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by The Taliban is the personal story of Malala Yousafzai, who wrote her story with the assistance of Christine Lamb. It is difficult for Americans to comprehend how a child can be shot because of a desire to obtain an education. Yousafzai’s story provides a clearer picture of what subjection to the Taliban entails in a personal way. Borderlines, a mystery fiction story written by Archer Mayor, is a story about the response of the town to a cult within their midst. While the story is entertaining, readers may also see prejudice come to light in unexpected ways, challenging their own sense of justice. Amish in Their Own Words by Brad A. Igou provides readers with a look at a religious sect still alive and well in the United States, through the words of Amish people. New appreciation for the Amish way of life challenges readers and provides a catalyst for self-examination. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is the first of a line of mysteries set in Botswana by Alexander McCall Smith. A look at life through the eyes of Botswanian Precious Ramotswe is eye-opening to the reality of life on another continent, particularly with a female heroine in a male-dominated society.
Writers such as Nabeel Qureshi and Chaim Potok take religious differences and examine them in the light of today’s world. Qureshi’s No God But One: Allah or Jesus? provides a close look at similarities and differences between Muslim and Christian faiths. Potok’s fiction novels such as The Chosen, The Promise, and My name is Asher Lev give a greater understanding of Hasidic Judaism in the United States. Seeking understanding by examination of other religions is the first step in creating a society that responds by building bridges, rather than walls, over religious differences. Opening the eyes of readers to seek similarities with one another while respecting differences is an effective tool for this process.
As educators and book lovers wring their hands over the fate of the written word in the 21st century, citing the internet, technology, and film as damaging to writers, they miss the real purpose behind writing. Writing isn’t merely means for providing entertainment for readers. Reading the material of writers can be entertaining, but the real reason to write is this: Change the world with writing by changing the world’s eye view of reality. Only when reality is confronted with a world’s eye view is it possible to change the world for the better.
This Old Norwegian 