Are there ethics that should apply to our writing?
A school teacher has an ethical approach to her teaching. We could call this approach her PHILOSOPHY of teaching. Written or not, she acts out her philosophy over and over again with her students. The evidence will be found in the moments that make up a school day. As a teacher myself, I commit to EXCELLENCE in providing lessons aimed at student success in both academics and as a person.
In the course of my training to be an English teacher for immigrants, my professors insisted I write out my philosophy for TEACHING ENGLISH. I had to answer questions such as: How will my students learn to speak fluently? From whom will they learn social cues? Will my students construct their vocabulary through explicit training or by accident? I labored over that assignment for weeks and have been testing out my instructional choices ever since.
Recently in my Bible reading, I came across some verses that offer a PHILOSOPHY for showing God’s love and truth to others.
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13 NIV
Let me paraphrase these verses into simple descriptions of HOW to love and serve others:
deliberately—carefully—simply—liberally—with zeal—with singleness of mind—in love
—in sincerity—in proportion to my faith
I am drawn to this list as a way of expressing my PHILOSOPHY of WRITING. As a personal historian and as a mentor for other writers, a firm philosophy will guide my instruction and my writing.
The motive for any project should be to write out of love. I make my way forward in a careful, deliberate way. As I write about the ways God has worked in my life over the past decade or as I start new projects for others, I want to do everything in proportion to my FAITH, believing that God will use the project to help another traveler on the road to his Destination.
