Sunday, December 9, 2012

Weekend Worship— Don’t be Afraid of Red on White


“Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?” Luke 14:34


This weekend I’ve been privileged to be on staff at the first annual Lightning Bug Literary Festival in Canton, Mississippi. This has been an amazing experience in many ways, but one of the highlights has been the faculty I’ve gotten to serve with. I’ve known several of them for years, but others are now new friends. I had time to sneak into a few of their workshops and have come away refreshed and reenergized by what I’ve heard. I was particularly impacted by the insights of filmmaker Brian Bird.


Today Brian shared how to create likeable characters, and one of the things he emphasized was how vital it is to create characters with flaws. He gave this analogy; if you have a white screen, and you throw beige paint on it, there’s not much that stands out. But if you take the same white screen and throw red paint on it, things get interesting. Painting a character beige is easier, but also leaves the reader with forgettable stories.

As he continued this teaching point, it was like God reached down and tapped me on the shoulder. I could almost hear His voice whisper into my soul. Protect against blending in, instead be bold and let your faith stand out.

I immediately began to revisit the things that have recently come up in my life; looking for areas I’d chosen comfort instead of contrast. I’m sorry to say I’ve let beige slip into my life, choosing to blend in at times when I should have been standing strong.  But I intend to take this lesson to heart, making a conscious effort to be bold, and never allowing what God has done become forgettable.

7 comments:

  1. Were you in Mississippi? This sounds like a great conference. Wish I'd known about it! Maybe next year...

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  2. Wonderful! I love this post. It is a focal thought for me today. Where have I chosen to be beige and fit in, instead of red and stand out for Christ? Thank you Edie.

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  3. Challenging, Edie. And it hits me right where I am, especially with writing. I've questioned whether I should write something based on what reaction(s) I might get in response. But if God says to write it, I need to do so.

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  4. Thanks you for sharing this Edie. It is so easy to back down into cowardice and not share what God puts on your heart. I have written down your words, "Protect against blending in, instead be bold and let your faith stand out." down and will post it in my writing area. Many blessings to you!

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  5. I wholeheartedly agree with the above comments, Edie. I too have been tempted to settle for comfort rather than boldness in recent weeks but your post has reminded yet again that I need to stand against this deception and stand out for Christ. Thank you!

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  6. Thank you all for stopping by! I'm traveling home today from a conference so I'm not able to spend much time here. You guys warm my heart with your generous hearts!

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  7. Edie, I'm so glad you were able to meet Brian Bird! Awesome, awesome guy! I've had the joy of being on staff with him at the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival. If you're still there, tell him I said hello.

    I love this description for flawed characters, and especially love how you've applied it to our lives. Thank you!

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