Fighting for Peace

by Sarah Sundin @sarahsundin

Today is the 80th anniversary of V-J Day, commemorating victory in Japan in World War II. At
last, World War II had come to an end. Many rejoiced that the killing had stopped and peace
would return. Many cried in relief that their loved ones would come home. Many mourned for
those they had lost.

For six years, the Allied nations had fought hard for that peace. To fight for peace is a moral
paradox—to shed blood to stop the shedding of blood rings false to our ears. Yet it is truth. Peace
is not natural in our fallen world, and it never comes without a fight. Jesus went to the cross so
that his shed blood would purchase our peace with God. And throughout history, people of
principle have fought for peace. And they will continue to fight for peace.

In the writing world, our novels can bring peace too. Stories whisk our readers from the chaos
and crises of their lives to a pleasant respite. Following our characters as they overcome
obstacles and crises and personal flaws shows our readers that they can find peace in overcoming
too. Thematic truths in our stories can light the way to inner peace.

As authors, we savor the joyful peace of watching our stories whirl together, finding a clever turn
of phrase, and grasping that perfect insight that changes our characters forever. And when our
stories enter the world, we experience a new sense of joyful peace when we hear how our words
brought joy and peace to others.

But first, the fight. We struggle to find ideas. We struggle in plotting and character development
and research. We struggle to find the right words to bring the visions in our mind to life on the
page. We struggle to edit those words when the first ones failed.

And we continue to fight. To build a platform and learn about the industry and to find an agent and to keep the agent and to write that annoying proposal.

We fight even harder on the inside. With the Lord’s help, we push through the dejection and the rejection. We shove away the imposter syndrome and the pride—often within the same hour. We rebuke the temptation to compare and to envy. We struggle with distractions and naysayers.

All this fighting takes courage. As Christian writers, we have—among countless other blessings—access to courage from the Lord. We can also grow in courage through building community with our fellow writer-fighters. We need each other for support and encouragement and wisdom.

As Christian writers, we also build courage by knowing the purpose behind the struggle. We
fight with our words for the cause of true peace, abundant life, and everlasting hope. Our purpose
is high and noble and great. That knowledge gives us courage to carry on and press forward.

The struggle is real. But so is the peace.

Keep fighting, my friends.

Sarah Sundin is an ECPA-bestselling author of World War II novels, including “Midnight on the Scottish Shore.” Her novels have received the Christy Award and the Carol Award. Sarah lives in Southern California and serves as co-director of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. Visit her at  www.sarahsundin.com.