The Biggest Divide in Christianity

… according to me, of course!

I’m sitting here doing page layout on My Life Story by Becky Lynn Black. As I was doing that, I read small portions. I don’t read much while I’m doing page layout. What the text says is less important than how it will look, so my brain is in a different mode. I was both appreciating portions of the book that I did read, and asking myself a question: If you didn’t know Dave Black, and just received this manuscript cold, would you have published it? I’ll answer that later.

In glancing at a page in layout, I saw this:

… what I found in these Bible majors were men who were as spiritually shallow,
vain, and frivolous as the rest of civilization!

She’s talking about the men at a Bible college, a place she hoped to find a husband. (We’re too early in the layout for me to tell you what page that quote will be on.)

Over the course of the day, I’ve worked on publicity for a philosophy text, I’ve worked on the cover for a book on preparing sermons, and I’ve followed up on items on several other titles under preparation. If my schedule holds, later today I’ll be reading a manuscript on process theology, and laying out a study guide to a book about the Lord’s prayer. The authors of this material vary a great deal in their theological perspectives. Some would consider these differences to be among the essentials of the faith. What is it that attracts me to these manuscripts? I work for myself. (Well, I think God might well challenge me on that, but though I try, I don’t want to claim divine inspiration for my actions.) I don’t have to publish anything I don’t want to.

Here’s the answer:

• Passion
• Commitment
• They mean it
• They’re not willing to stay in the shallow end of the spiritual pool
• Passion

Oh, I put that one twice.

I think that if we are truly committed to Jesus Christ and passionate about following him and serving him, he will find a way to teach us.

What will never work is apathy.

That’s the biggest divide. Those who really care and those who don’t.

I want to publish the people who really care. I want to find the readers who really care. I want to help them care more. I want to help myself to care more and be more effective. It’s never enough!

To answer the question I asked myself, I have no doubt that the answer is yes. I think this is a manuscript that too many editors would look at and say, “Who was Becky Lynn Black?” In the pages of the manuscript I would have found the answer, had I not already known. You can find it too.

Of course, as a publisher, I want you to buy the book. Take that as given. But what I really hope you’ll do is share your testimony. Tell people what God has done in your life. Place that task above all the theological debates. I don’t mean that you need to compromise your principles. People who are truly committed don’t do that. But make your primary story be about Jesus Christ in your life. I think you’ll find that story does more than anything else.