Why I Write

My name is Tony Roberts.  I was a pastor for almost 20 years.  A big part of my job was to take the sacred Word and inspire people to do good things like feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the prisoner.  To do this, I did a lot of writing (over 500 sermons,  300 e-devotions, 200 newsletter articles, countless pastoral letters).   Now, I am leaving behind pastoral ministry and looking to put my writing gifts to good use inspiring people to do other good things.

Since starting this blog, I’ve been asked, “Why are you leaving pastoral ministry?”  I have a number of reasons, but the one that applies most here is that I’m discovering that I am better equipped to give glory to God and serve God’s creation through writing in other arenas.  I’m not leaving behind my faith or the church, I’m just going to serve in a new way.

The other question people have asked is “Are you mostly going to write about faith and God?”  My answer is “Yes and no.”  Yes, because I believe all good writing carries with it values and beliefs about the world, as well as what and who is in it.  Since we are created in the image of God and creation reflects God’s good order, when you write faithfully about any subject, you are reflecting on God.

This does not mean I’ll be restricting my writings to organized religion, pastoral ministry, or even what the Bible alone has to say.  As of this writing, I have posted political commentaries, social satires, spiritual reflections, poetry, essays, flash fiction, mini-memoir, interviews with writers, book and music reviews.

Those of you who’ve visited before (in December) may note that I have now not only changed the look of the blog, but also the title.  Since I am focusing now on the art (and craft) of writing and building tools to write better (instead of just looking for work), I thought the new title A Way With Words represented the primary aim better than the old title Will Write For Food (and maybe dental).

Finally, a brief word about some of the more “profane” writing you’ll find here.  I was once asked by another blogger to describe my sense of humor and the first words that came to mind were “Ironic Iconoclasm”.  I believe that most people (from professing atheists to conservative Christians) actually worship many false gods (sacred cows) and, when I detect this, I count it my duty to make fun of them (often using strong language).  I see my mission similar to George Orwell, who wrote –

When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, “I am going to produce a work of art.” I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.

So, happy reading.  And, I hope to hear from you soon (and often).