Into the Fire

Keeping perspective has so much to do with faith. If God is for me, who can be against me? (Oh, just agents, edtiors, and publishers? Just kidding, Lord.)

Recently, on Becky Miller’s blog she tackled the inclusion of miracles in fiction as a possible detraction from who God is, suggesting that people’s mentality is to focus in on that single part of His character and miss so much more of who He is. Mir argued vehemently that miracles should be included, fitting the storyline, of course, and were part and parcel of who God is, noting that to exclude them would be to leave out a vital part of His character. (This is my paraphrasing, so forgive me if I missed the point of either’s assertions.)

Here’s my beef. Religion tries to define and stipulate. Laws and regulations. A person can be religious about the way he brushes his teeth. Just ask any dentist. Religion shows up in Christian fiction, faith fiction, fiction for God (take your preferred pick) and voila! we have formulaic writing. Now the gospel showing up in our fiction is a different story because the ways to present it are as varied as the denominations we all are. The gospel is simple and beautiful but the journey to find it can be riveting, filled with devastation, trying, or placid as a summer lake.

I don’t like to exclude any part of God’s character (that I know of) in writing. And by that I mean He is ill-defined by just one or two parts of who He is. For me, it’s like saying He’s more effectively portrayed like this or that instead of letting the Spirit dictate how the Lord wants to be shown in a story. I will grant that yielded to Him, He can show whatever part of Himself He so chooses, and that might be the poignant portion of His character that will best illustrate where He wants a reader focused. I’m not saying either the subdued focus or the illustrative focus is better. I’m saying we as writers should be tuned in to His focus instead of trying to define what a reader might want or expect. Ultimately, that will produce our best work.

(And my conclusion has nothing specifically to do with Becky’s blog post or Mir’s response.)

Father, when I struggle with the world’s challenges, the corruption of sin, the temptations to blow it, I ask you to temper me, calm me, remind me of perspective. You are who you say you are. I love that. I need that. Let me portray you as you desire in each story, each word of life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.