August 17, 2011

WHY WE WRITE by Bryan Norford

WHY WE WRITE by Bryan Norford

Well, Brenda, I can’t think of a specific incident that changed my writing life, but I can describe clearly the motivation that started it. When we reached fifty years of marriage—six years ago—not only our children, but also grandchildren were marrying and having children.

Having seen what the volatile marriage scene has done to younger generations, we felt our descendants could use biblical guidance for a stable marriage. This prompted our first book, Happy Together, a year’s devotions based on all Bible passages dealing with marriage, family, and relationships. It turned up more material than we expected!

Linked to that, we saw the need to oppose much biblical illiteracy, which leads to a superficial or skewed Christianity and accommodation with current western culture. This in turn inhibits evangelization as Christianity loses its counter-culture status, its defining role in drawing people to Christ.

So, we added a series of books with a clarifying biblical approach to confusing issues of the faith, and study guides to give a basic grounding in Bible knowledge. While our growing family is our priority, we are encouraged if some of our writing spins off to strengthen and build a secure faith in others.

The greatest paradox for a world of high intellectual achievement is so little regard for truth. Post-modern society uses truth as a convenient, flexible commodity that only provides shifting sands on which to build lives.

We want a firm foundation for our families, only found in the unchanging truth of God’s grace toward us. That influence, in turn, establishes wholesome relationships with each other, strong lasting marriages and secure, stable children. We don’t have to look far to see the chaos that loss of permanence creates.

Thus, the concern for our family’s marriages has broadened into welfare for the whole of life and the society in which we live. In the few years we have left, we are constrained to continue proclaiming the authority of God over life by the written word and representative deeds.


2 comments:

  1. Such worthy reasons to start writing, Bryan! Most people just think "Someone should do something about that" but never actually take the steps. (Or have the talent or where with all to do it!)

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  2. Bryan, I am SO glad to hear the story of how you got started.

    Seeing a need and being the catalyst to change it with your words -- I believe you and your wife are 'standing in the gap' for our generation. How wonderful!

    BTW, congrats on being one of those amazing couples who are still enjoying being married to the same person after more than 50 years!

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