Why I Write

For my senior year of college, I am required to take an English course in order to graduate. The point of this English course is mainly preparing individuals to be literate members of society, so we spend a lot of time talking about literacy and writing. 

Last week, we read an article by George Orwell, the author of 1984, called "Why I Write". In this article, Orwell suggests that there are four primary motives for writing:

1. Egoism (For the Ego)
2. Aesthetic Enthusiasm (For the Art of It)
3. Historical Impulse (To Record Things)
4. Political Purpose (To Advance an Agenda)

After a pretty intense class discussion, it's apparent that Orwell is onto something. My entire class could not come up with a single motive for writing that doesn't fall into one of these categories.

But the interesting thing about the discussion was that it forced me to think about my own writing. Why do I write? Why do I spend time writing things on this blog? 

Is it out of a selfish motivation? Is it because I'm making art through writing? Is it to record the things going on in my life for later? Or is it to push an agenda?

If I'm honest, it's a little bit of all of those things. But for the most part, the motivation of writing on this blog centers around an agenda. 
 
On this blog, my "agenda" is to share how I've seen Jesus at work in the culture and environment around me, and how believing the Gospel and knowing Jesus affects how I interpret the world and engage culture.

But my other agenda or rather hope is that this blog would be an encouraging place. That it would make you laugh, smile, or just think. That maybe you would be able to relate with the things that I write. That maybe you would even meet God through the words He puts on my heart.

All art has a political agenda. 

This blog is a work of art.

Ergo, it serves a purpose.  

But in the end, it's all for the glory of God.