Why I'm in Publishing

My son called from Iraq at 5:00 this morning. Uriah is a lance corporal serving with the Marines. He'd gotten ahold of some talk time on a satellite phone, and he called to say hello.

"Where are you?"
"Out in the desert. Sitting in a humvee."
"Oh. What are you doing?"
"Nothing much. We just blew up a bunch of C4 that we captured. That was pretty cool."
"Hmm."
"So what's going on at home."
"The usual. I got a haircut. Probably mow the lawn later."
"Cool. Well, I better get going. There's a bunch of tanks rolling by, and I can't hear too good."
"Ok. I love you."
"Love you too. Bye."

That was it. We used one of the most amazing communications devices ever produced to talk halfway around the world in real time about nothing. Which is exactly what most of us do with most of our words all the time. Think of the typical content of a cell phone call or an IM or a text message.

"Wasup"
"idk"
"brb"
"k"

We have communicators that Captain Kirk never dreamed of, and we use them to transmit nonsense to people who are in the same room. The main reason we use instant messages in my house? To call kids to supper.

Yet there is something comforting and good about hearing my son's voice from a war zone. Even if his only thought is that he's bored. And there's something healthy, even necessary, about getting a text message from my wife that says "ily" while I'm sitting at yet another airport.

Beyond the words themselves, these devices allow us to touch one another over vast distances and great barriers. And if the content of our messages is mostly routine, that could be because most of our thoughts are rather normal. So what? The important thing is that we share them with one another. There is incredible power in saying simple things like "I'm OK," "Talk to you later," "Please come here," and "I love you."

Words inspire us, comfort us, challenge us, and enliven us. Whether written or spoken or drawn in the sand, it is words that connect us with God and connect us with each other. We can't live without them--or at least not very well

When people ask me why I'm in publishing (as they do with surprising frequency, as if this were an odd thing to do with my life), I tell them that words have incredible power--for good or evil--and I want to broadcast as many good words into the world as I can.

Sometimes, those words are delivered by a text message that says "imy bby, c u soon." Sometimes they're in a book that says, "Your life matters to God, please don't waste it." And just occasionally, they're on a satellite phone call that says, "I love you son, and I'm proud of you. Come home soon."

Either way, I know that my words matter--and yours do too.

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