Into the Fire

Yesterday I took a break from our discussion centered on the self-appointed judges of "appropriate" Christian Fiction. Although I'm a gut-level serious person, possess the "prophet mentality" which tends to see things in black and white, am not a nominal Christian, don't drink, smoke, or do drugs (but once did before meeting Jesus), and absolutely believe the Word of God as literal Truth, I still love to laugh and have fun.

Having harmless fun. Laughing hysterically – which is rare – but oh so enjoyable. Setting aside serious reasoning for a short time – doing these things which balance out the woe and worry of life on planet earth. What these kinds of things constitute varies dramatically for different ones, but at their core is the release of the spiritual negatives to embrace some positives. Jesus laughed and still does I believe (at least at me – He'd have to). And shares in fun.

I guess that's one of the things that struck me about the criticisms of Becky's novel. What harm is there in having fun? I will grant you that "fun" presents all kinds of imaginative possibilities, but we're talking fun without drugs or getting drunk or causing danger or acting smutty. What is wrong with having fun?

We needn't worry about what the world thinks of us unless we misrepresent Jesus Christ. And so often the misrepresentations get all the attention, all the bad press, all the notice. We all make errors in judgment, we all commit sin. We struggle with our conduct right along with worldly people. But we know the difference. We recognize when we fail. We choose how we handle those failures.

It's been said that Christians kill their wounded. I've seen it happen more than once. Enough, in fact, to have given this idea credence. What is it with us that we feel the need to point out everyone else's failings in order to somehow inflate our holiness? One of the problems with doing this is precisely as Jesus explained and warned: no one is without sin. So throwing stones at others' "mistakes" or "sins" sometimes only emphasizes our own. And sometimes what we deem "sinful" really isn't. Gasp! Yeah, it's true. The fact that some individuals think a friendly game of poker is sinful proves this beyond question. There was no sin in the games in Becky's novel.

(I'm not saying that playing a card game with "gambling" couldn't be harmful to someone who's addicted to gambling, but in this little romance novel that just isn't the case. At all. Come on.)

Fun isn't defined by other people. Fun is experienced by Christians who enjoy multiple kinds of games, activities, and laughter. Isn't it?
 

Father, help us to smile, laugh, and have fun. To find freedom in fun. A merry heart . . . In the Name of Jesus, Amen.