Nineteenth century evangelist Charles Spurgeon wrote, “So I gathered that my sermons were clear enough to be understood by anybody who was not so conceited as to darken his own mind with pride. Now, if boys read The Sword and the Trowel it cannot be said to shoot over people’s heads, nor can it be said to be very dull and dreary” (Sword & Trowell, November 1874).¹ Clarity in his message  was important to Spurgeon. But what is clarity?

Merriam-Webster defines clarity as “the quality or state of being clear.”² Clear, however, is more nuanced in meaning, having several uses. Merriam-Webster provides several definitions for clear; but for my purpose, I’ll stick with this one: free from obscurity or ambiguity: easily understood.³ When something is clear, it is unmistakable. The meaning and the intent are all easily discerned.

When I write something, I want the message to get across to the reader. This is true whether I am writing to inform or entertain, to sway or to warn. So, there are some things I need to remember when I write to help me be clear. Here are three that I came up with taken from my own experience and education. I am sure that there are others. If you can think of any and want to share them, please do so.

1. Know your message and stay on track. Nothing can sabotage written communications more soundly than rambling from one thought to another as we try to find the meaning in our muse.

2. Know your audience. Communicating a higher order concept to a novice or a fundamental truth to an expert misses the mark. You’ll lose the novice, possibly quenching his thirst for learning, or bore the expert who won’t take you seriously now or in the future. Additionally, knowing your audience helps you select the right reading level at which to write.

3. Be succinct. I wrote about this in a Blog posted on January19, 2020 titled, “Keep it brief.” Sometimes, less is better.

Something important to clarity that I think has an over-arching influence on our writing and, by default, how clear we can be is this: be true to yourself. Don’t try to write like another person or use their words. Find your own voice and your own style. No one can tell your story or convey you message better that you.

In Matthew 5:34 – 37 (NIV), Jesus said, “…do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’….” On the surface, Jesus was addressing the taking of an oath; but I think that the significance is deeper. Those things that we swear an oath to are external, allowing us to shift responsibility away from ourselves. Jesus challenges us to be true to ourselves when we testify or make a promise. As he inspires us say simply “Yes” or “No” in such cases, keep your writing on message. What could be clearer?

¹lucidbooks, “7 Writing Tips from Charles Spurgeon,” 2/22/2016. Retrieved from https://lucidbookspublishing.com/7-writing-tips-from-charles-spurgeon/?fbclid=IwAR3uUmjb2jOP8MyZ7AQEvU_MIYHI5QYC-lDrBTfVOZNvSGQUosJxqeLrZNg on 1/4/2020

²Mirriam-Webster (2020). Clarity. Retrieved on 2/23/2020 fromhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clarity.

³Mirriam-Webster (2020). Clear. Retrieved on 2/23/2020 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clear.