WORD!

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

The writing process is a beautiful one. I enjoy putting my words on paper because it provides me with a channel to let things go — and sometimes, that release is like lifting the weight off my shoulders.

In John 8:32, scripture tells us, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

As I write, I work to tell the truth: one of a Gospel that loves, of a Jesus that uplifts, of an age-old resurrection story that was yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow.

Writing is my way of wrestling with the divine, of untangling the threads of grace woven through my life.

Some days, I write from a place of deep knowing — an assurance that love is the very fabric of our being, the foundation on which everything rests.

On other days, I write from the questions, from the tension, from the holy uncertainty that reminds me my faith was never meant to be stagnant.

I used to think the truth was absolute and rigid. But the more I read the Gospels, the more I see how Jesus met people where they were — how His truth was wrapped in love, compassion, and a relentless pursuit of justice.

That is the truth that sets us free: not a set of doctrines, not a checklist of beliefs, but a living, breathing reality of God's love that calls us to love in return.

To follow Christ is to step into that love — to embody it in how we welcome the stranger, advocate for the marginalized, and affirm the sacred worth of every person.

It's to believe that resurrection is not just an ancient story but a present reality — that even now, God is bringing new life where we least expect it.

So I write. I write to bear witness to the goodness of God in the here and now. I write to unlearn the fear and shame that once bound me and to reclaim a faith that is wide, expansive, and full of grace. I write because, in a world hungry for justice and healing, words have the power to plant seeds of both.

And maybe — just maybe — someone else will read these words and feel the weight lift, too. Perhaps they'll remember that they are seen, they are known, they are loved. Maybe they'll find their freedom in the truth that has been setting people free for generations.

Because that's what resurrection does: it keeps showing up, surprising us, and reminding us that love is always the final word.

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