Into the Fire

It seems for those who feel victimized by Christian Fiction that any mention of serious God issues is too much. God-lite is more than these readers can tolerate. Recently I've read some good novels which are God-lite and sure enough the fact that God is mentioned at all is more than these supposedly unsuspecting souls can handle.

So what do I mean by God-lite? Some characters acknowledge God, do pray without many details, and have hope that God will act in some way(s). Jesus is not mentioned. Conflict with evil is apparent and/or there is serious need for God's intervention in a circumstance. Some characters know God. Others don't believe in God. Some are searching for Him without understanding how He operates or what they need to know.

But it doesn't matter how "lite" God's presence is in the story. It's too much for them. These are the readers who criticize the "Christian" in fiction, who whine about how they were "deceived" into reading the book, and who will give the novel one star on Amazon because it belongs to the "religious" category and somehow they didn't catch it. Strange how that works when back cover copy invariably implicates the God-factor.

Lite or not, if God makes it into the pages of the novel, some readers will find a way to complain.

Father, you call many to your salvation. Your love is bigger than humanity can imagine. Available to all. So sad when it's rejected. May you bless your people who write according to your will and instruction. In the Name of your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.