For Jan White, writing about her faith is something that comes naturally. As a weekly religion columnist for her hometown newspaper, The Andalusia Star-News, she often shares her opinions on contemporary events with her own Christian perspective.
White’s passion for sharing her convictions in print was recently recognized by The Amy Foundation, an organization committed to presenting biblical truths in secular publications, with its $10,000 first-place Amy Writing Award. Other winners included writers from Time magazine, The Boston Globe and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
White, who attends Southside Baptist Church, Andalusia, in Covington Baptist Association, had entered the contest each year for the past 10 years. Her winning article "Forgiveness is the key to unlocking hatred" was written after the October 2006 murders in an Amish school in Pennsylvania.
"Watching the news coverage of the horrible event, I realized the Amish community demonstrated the meaning of forgiveness to the news media and the rest of us," she said. "It begged the question would we be able to forgive such a horrible act? What about the people we know who have wronged us? Would someone learn the meaning of forgiveness by looking at our lives?"
Mary Spagnuolo of foundation said White’s article was especially powerful because it challenged its readers — both Christian and non-Christian — to look at their own lives and actions.
"Jan’s article explains the compassionate character of the Amish community as they grieve the tragic loss of five of their innocent schoolgirls to a senseless shooting," she said. "But with Christlike character, they not only forgive the shooter but reach out to his widow with a message of forgiveness in the most trying of circumstances.
"Through her writing, Jan White challenges all of us to exhibit a similar forgiving in our own lives, through situations not nearly as trying as what the Amish experienced," Spagnuolo said.
Bill Pritchett, pastor of Southside Baptist, said, "Jan is a humble servant of God whom God is using to touch the lives of many people."
To enter the competition, writers are required to include at least one Scripture reference in their piece printed in a mainstream, nonreligious publication. In her piece, White quoted Luke 23:34.
"It’s still hard to believe that this has happened to me," she said of winning. "Truly God can do exceedingly abundantly above all I can ask or think."
The contest reiterates her belief that Christians can witness to others and share their faith with the written word, White said. "Christians must be salt and light to the world. … In a small town, I can speak from the platform of the printed page to a great many people, some of whom may never go to church.
"Even if readers reject our words, the Scripture will speak directly to them," she said.
Her column is published on Saturday in the Star-News and the following Tuesday in The (Enterprise) Southeast Sun. White has also been published in various Christian magazines and writes for her church newsletter. To read White’s column, visit www.amyfound.org.
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