C.H. Dyer was born on an airplane from LA to Sydney. As a result, C.H. was granted dual citizenship as an Aussie and American. However, he grew up traveling on the road in a RV with his father as an itinerant preacher and a home-schooling mother. He sailed around the world at 16, made his first million investing in Circuit City Stores at age 25, and then gave it all away; led 1,000 people to Christ by the age of 31, and never has regretted any decision to risk everything.
None of that is true, of course, but it is fun to think about writing your own fictional biography, as I was recently challenged to do in an online creative writing course. Telling a good story can capture people’s attention, endear you to your reader, bring to life ancient history and important topics. However, embellishment of the facts can also be manipulative or even devious.
One of the great things about the ministry of Bright Hope is that we never have to manipulate or embellish the truth. The truth of extreme poverty is daunting enough, or maybe you can say exciting enough, without adding to the facts.
What can be more exciting than helping someone on the brink of life or death, giving them sustenance to live another day. Have you ever seen someone come back from near death? Tell me if you have.
It is scary, heart-wrenching, invigorating…and then to give that person a meaningful way to earn a living and see his soul won to a relationship with Jesus Christ—it is like winning the dunking contest at the NBA all-star game or scoring the winning field goal in the Superbowl. The excitement level and gripping facts mesmerize you, just like a good book can.
Often at Bright Hope our staff overseas witnesses so much of God’s hand at work in people, they take it for granted. When I go and see our church partners and meet the people your gifts are helping, I have to remind our staff just how special and exciting the ministry they are doing really is.
Can you even imagine seeing so many of God’s miracles at work in people that it just becomes normal life, an everyday occurrence?
It is very plain to see how some charities use pictures and stories to manipulate you into giving. If I see another sad dog commercial on late-night TV, or a photo of a child with flies on their face, I think am going to blow up from being manipulated and will give a piece of my mind to the 800-number phone operator.
Listen here, Allies of the poor: at Bright Hope, you will get the truth and only the facts. Like a good radio sportscaster, we will provide color commentary, but we will never stray from the truth about what we do and how your gifts are lifting people out of poverty.
We don’t have to lie or make up stories because God is doing amazing things.
And, if we continue to grow and can report even more about all God is doing here, we may hopefully come close to doing justice to these life-changing stories about His awesomeness and His handiwork in the lives of the extreme poor.
Sincerely,
C.H. Dyer: The Amazing, Fantastic Man (now that is manipulative fiction)
