Introduction
The idea to write this letter sprouted a couple of years ago when I submitted an application for an entry in a theological newsletter. The idea was to document the process of writing a handwritten letter and to contrast that with reading letters in print. I wanted to summarize what I learned academically and disseminate the nuggets of wisdom I discovered in an accessible format. However, my idea was not accepted.
A few months ago, I spoke with a friend from New Jersey. We talked about faith and church. Through the conversation, I remembered this idea. However, this time I had a particular audience in mind and a greater reason as to why I wanted to write the piece.
I wrote this letter because I wanted to encourage and inspire a handful of people I knew. I wanted to succinctly document my theological learning and experiences over the past five years. I wanted to express the content in a familiar format so people can approach biblical letters with a renewed perspective.
Whether or not a New Jerseyian was encouraged or inspired, it was a fun process to write (by hand), type, edit, format, and print this creative piece with a humble curiosity for greater things.