What color are your cataracts?

As we all know, I'm trying to make the transition from writing traditional romance to Christian romance. Silly me, I thought I merely needed to add a stronger inspirational element. That would be a big fat no.

I decided to join a critique group of inspirational writers, as none of my other critique partners read inspirational. Here's the interesting thing about my current editing nightmare...

My non inspirational readers think my heroine is more than reasonable in not consulting her husband regarding a major decision, and that he is unreasonable for being angry with her for not consulting him. My inspirational readers-exactly the opposite.

It amazes me to see how much faith colors the way we look at a character or story. It isn't just writing a book about connecting with our faith in a different way, or a character's journey in discovering that faith. I've always operated under the assumption that people are people, regardless of their faith, and that underneath it all, we're still the same. I still believe that to be true.

However, there is a big difference in how we view or perceive others based on that faith. The old adage about rose-colored glasses applies here. Sort of. Except unlike glasses, we can't just take off those views. We have cataracts over our eyes, coloring the way we view the world, based on our faith, what society tells us, and other things, like life experience.

The same actions-viewed by one person as perfectly legitimate, viewed by another as wrong. All because our vision is colored by our faith or lack thereof.

I got an email from someone today that really irritated me. On the surface, it wasn't a bad email. The person didn't say anything mean or do anything bad. But it was gruff, abrupt, and didn't need to be sent. Had it been me in her shoes, I wouldn't have done anything. But see, I usually think from the position of, "is it worth it?" I consider the other person's feelings, and spend time to think about ways I can word things in a kind way. Do I think this person is a nasty, mean human being? Absolutely not. In her mind, she was trying to accomplish a goal, without thinking, "how will I come across?"

Different colored cataracts.

I look at the conflicts in the world, and I realize that they're no different. Where one sees a particular value, another group sees it as subverting a value they hold very dear. As we, as Christians, try to convey our values to others, we're not just combatting all of the obvious messes, but we're also dealing with cataracts.

I absolutely see value in respecting my husband. But how many women out there have been raised in the societal view that respecting one's husband somehow denigrates our rights as women? On the other extreme, though, there are people who view women as having absolutely no value at all.

My aim in writing, and in life, is that I hope to be stripped of our cataracts, that Christ would perform surgery on our eyes, hearts, and minds so that we can see ourselves, and each other, as He does. I look at this book, and the others I'm writing, and I have to think about my audience. What color are the cataracts in their eyes? I can write an incredible book, with incredible characters, but unless I'm writing something that they can either understand through their cataracts, or that will pull the cataracts off of their eyes, it won't matter.