Happy Wednesday, friends!
I’ll be speaking at a women’s ministry event this Spring and the talk focuses on the power of storytelling and words in particular. In preparing for the talk, it got me thinking about why I love fiction, and Christian fiction in particular, and for me, it came down to words. Words such as redemption, forgiveness, faithfulness, and my personal favorite—hope.
The themes of Christian fiction novels, the faith journey of the characters in them, always lead to a deeper relationship with our Lord, to a deeper understanding in an area of struggle, or the overwhelming peace of a word whispered by God.
That’s what differentiates Christian fiction. Not just the lack of language or explicit romance scenes, but the deep abiding message and truth at the core of each story. Yes, some are far more subtle, and others are more over-the-head, but God calls each of us to write with a different voice, just as He created us each with a unique voice.
I never start with a theme in mind. I start with a premise and a vague idea of my characters and then I pour them onto the page and watch them come to life. I see their struggle and I watch in amazement how God answers it on the page. He uses it to teach me, to draw me closer to him, and to infuse me with hope.
Hope. There’s that word again.
Dictionary.com describes hope as:
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
No offense to Dictionary.com, but I disagree. Hope is not a feeling. It’s a belief. Belief and trust in the One who is our hope. The One who is the anchor for our soul, firm and secure. (Hebrews 6:19)
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…”
I love the reference to an anchor—to the stability and firm trust that we won’t be swept away by the waves or storm. That we will be held fast.
While thinking about hope and what it means to me, the following definition came to mind:
Hope is your beacon in the dark shoals of life.
Hope is where we keep our gaze fastened. The hope we have in Christ. The hope we have in the power of stories to transport us in time and space—all while in the comfort of our home or beach chair…or, given its freezing out here, the ski lodge.
Christian fiction fills us with the hope of what we already have in Christ and the beauty and majesty of what’s to come.
Reader Question: What do you love about Christian Fiction?
Dani
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Oh, how I wish I could hear your talk, Dani. What a great opportunity to share your love of Christian fiction. I think this is what I love most about Christian fiction: In real life, we sometimes have to wait a lifetime to see how God has woven everything together for our good and His glory. In a novel, we can see the whole tapestry unrolled in a few hours and reflect on how God is working similarly in our own lives.
Wow. That’s so true. I love that we can see the whole tapestry. I hadn’t thought of it like that before. Thank you so much for sharing.
I, too, love Christian fiction! I love the inspiration I receive from reading wholesome, God-honoring stories!
It is wonderful, isn’t it? Thank you so much for dropping by and for sharing.
Thanks for this great post, Dani. I remember November 1991 when I read Redeeming Love. It was published in the general market then (Multnomah rereleased it in 1997), but I wept over the power of that book to change a life. There wasn’t much of a Christian fiction market at that time. Almost no fiction in the Christian bookstores. But that book made me long to read (and write) stories that mattered. That’s what I love about Christian fiction. Done well, it draws the reader one step closer to Christ.
Thanks so much, Robin. You’re absolutely right. When it’s done well, it does draw the reader to Christ and glorifies God. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi, Dani. I’m a huge fan of Christian Fiction and love fiction focused on hope in Christ! That’s exactly why Hope-filled Fiction is my writer tagline and why the featured post on my blog is about why people should read Christian Fiction. I took snippets from a Facebook Live Hope Hunt I did in 2020 about finding hope in fiction to write the article. If you’re interested, you can take a look.
https://deenaadams.com/why-read-hope-filled-fiction/
Christian fiction is my favorite! I, too, love the hope, and the witness and faith sprinkled through the book. Each book speaks to me and reminds me of some aspect of God’s character.