Christians can learn from
children’s authors and illustrators.
At the end of April, I
attended SCBWI’s regional Wild Wild Midwest Conference. SCBWI (Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) is a secular organization for—as the
name states—children’s writers and illustrators.
The conference brought
together approximately 500 people from the Midwest and beyond, and on the
second day we listened to a report from an affiliated organization called We
Need Diverse Books. The presentation covered WNDB’s initiative to break into
the hallowed halls of the almost exclusively white New York publishing industry
and to encourage and promote minority writers and other outsiders (e.g., LGTB
and people with disabilities).
At some point during the
presentation, an audience member stood up and suggested that each person at the
conference consider donating $5 to WNDB. The conference organizers took that
suggestion to heart and provide a box for cash donations. As soon as that opportunity
was announced, conference attendees jumped up and streamed by the box with
their offerings. When online donations were included, the conference attendees
donated almost $4,000 in a little over 24 hours.
I wasn’t surprised. The
entire conference was characterized by friendliness and a “we’re all in this
together” attitude. The financial generosity was just one more example.
Contrast that with the
last time I attended an American Christian Fiction Writers Conference (in 2014).
The conference organizers said frequently and proudly that only Christian
writers rooted for their competitors to succeed. But they were focused on the
financial bottom line at the expense of graciousness and generosity. That
conference had also become stale, and I have no desire to attend another one.
What’s more important,
the financial bottom line or an open heart? For Christians, the answer should
be obvious.
Even if they have to
learn it from a secular organization like SCBWI.
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