Born in Cyprus and raised the United Kingdom, Jeff has an innate inquisitiveness and desire to understand and make sense of the world around him.
These attributes find natural expression in the written word, especially commentary pieces.
Jeff’s writing has appeared in various places around the internet and in print, often dealing with the relationship between the Christian faith and the larger culture.
The Gissings make their home in Wheaton, Illinois.
I’ve been significantly influenced by the Russian dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In his essay Live Not By Lies, Solzhenitsyn urged his Russian readers to resist the tyranny of Communism.
A truth-teller, according to Solzhenitsyn,
- Will not say, write, affirm or distribute anything that distorts the truth
- Will not go to a demonstration or participate in a collective action unless he truly believes in the cause
- Will not take place in a meeting in which the discussion is forced and no one can speak the truth
- Will not vote for a candidate or proposal he considers to be ‘dubious or unworthy’
- Will walk out of an event ‘as soon as he hears the speaker utter a lie, ideological drivel, or shameless propoganda’
- Will not support journalism that ‘distorts or hides the underlying facts’
This list is included in Rod Dreher’s forthcoming book Live Not By Lies! I find it encapsulates quite nicely my own sense of vocation as a writer. I strive to live by these principles.