Sometimes Less Is More

 

A few years ago, I was tasked with compiling and editing a newsletter for a Christian charity, and I asked someone to provide a story of 100-150 words, so when the piece I received was 300 words long, my first reaction was frustration. 

     However, once I began editing, it was a surprisingly easy task. As I condensed several words into one or deleted entire sentences which seemed superfluous, I felt a real sense of satisfaction. Without very much effort, I got the piece down to under 150 words without losing any of the meaning, and it was a much better and tighter story. 

     A lot of my writing time this month has been spent in a similar fashion, although this time with my own writing, which has been much more difficult, but still very satisfying. 

     I have been working on a children’s Bible reading resource, and the format has fixed word counts for each section – mostly 20-30 words, though in one section I have the luxury of 50-70 words! 

     When you have so few words to work with, each one has to count. It pushes you to consider the one point you want to make and then think about how to communicate it concisely. When working on a Bible resource, there is the added dimension of wanting to say something spiritually meaningful despite the limited words. 

     It has been a challenge, but it has definitely developed my writing ability. It has also caused me to ponder the power there can be in just a few words. 

     Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was challenged by some friends who bet that he couldn’t fit an entire narrative into just six words. Whether or not, that really is the origin of this story, there is no denying the power of the six-word narrative: 

     “For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn.” 

     As I thought about words from the Bible, I discovered there are many examples of powerful statements, and in some cases deep theological truths, being summed up in just a few words. 

     In the beginning, God… (Genesis 1:1)

     But God… (Genesis 50:20 plus several other places in the Bible)

     Jesus wept. (John 11:35)

     He is risen! (Matthew 28:6) 

     I regularly go into schools to teach a religious education programme, taking children through the storyline of the Bible. We cover a lot of detail in the lessons, but to help them retain the main point, we attempt to sum up the Gospel in just seven words. 

     “God loves. People do wrong. God saves.” 

     (Of course, this could become six words by changing “do wrong” to “sin,” but for most of these children, sin is an unfamiliar concept, so I think the extra word is worth it here.) 

     In this age of social media and short attention spans, the ability to communicate succinctly is definitely one worth developing. 

     Why not try writing your own six-word story or have a go at communicating a spiritual truth in a concise way?

Lesley Crawford blogs at Life In The Spacious Place and contributes regularly at Gracefully Truthful. She has written One Big Story, a Bible curriculum for school groups and contributed to various anthologies, including the ACW anthology, "Merry Christmas, Everyone" and "The Jesse Tree Anthology".