READING FICTION What does the Bible say about reading or writing fiction? Fiction is, by definition, something feigned, invented, or imagined. Basically something untrue. Sometimes fiction is even referred to as entertaining lies. The Bible, on the other hand, exhorts us to speak truth and reject lies. In addition, 1 Timothy 1:4 tells us to avoid myths and fables. So how should we look at reading or writing fiction? First off, lets clarify. 1 Timothy 1:4 is a warning to the church to not bicker and fuss over extra-Biblical details. The churchs teaching should be based off the Bible, not off the ideas and imaginations of men. Discussing the color of Samsons hair is pointless and a waste of time; declaring the brownness of his hair to be Truth and putting that in your churchs Statement of Faith is even worse! However, although this is a misuseof imagination, the Bible does not have an ultimatum against fiction overall. Fiction in the Bible In fact, the Bible is filled with fictional stories. Just to be clear though, were NOT saying the Bible is fiction, but that it USES fiction to teach us about the Truth. In other words, the Bible uses storytelling. In 2 Samuel 12:1-4, Nathan the prophet tells David a fictional story of a man whose only lamb was stolen and killed. When the hypothetical crime angers David, Nathan reveals the story is an allegory for Davids affair with Bathsheba. But thats not the only example of fictional storytelling in the Bible. Other examples are Jothams fable in Judges 9:7-15, Ezekiels allegory in Ezekiel 17:1-8 and, of course, the parables of the greatest storyteller: Jesus. Every one of Jesus parables uses fiction as a tool to reveal and talk about a certain spiritual truth. Over the past hundreds of years, Christian culture has followed Jesus example. Paul Bunyans The Pilgrims Progress uses allegory to paint the Christians spiritual journey. Similarly, C.S. Lewis used fiction to encourage readers to really ask questions regarding God and their own spirituality. He also used the medium of a good story to break down complex theology into an easier-to-understand picture. But does this mean that every story a Christian reads, watches, writes or listens to must, at its core, have a Christian message? Not at all. A good story does not have to be overtly Christian, though there are definitely some things to keep in mind when you choose what to watch, read, write or listen to. A Christian Writers Responsibility Colossians 3:1-2 reminds us to keep seeking the things above and to set [our] mind[s] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Philippians 4:8explains what those sort of things look like: things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely. The Lord of the Rings is an example of non-overtly-Christian fiction from a Christian author. J.R.R. Tolkien despised Christian allegory. Instead, his books were an allegory of war and the downside of technological advancement with no intended spiritual message. But his beliefs soaked through the story, leaving behind plots filled with biblical values such as courage, unity of purpose, and self-sacrifice. Regardless of whether a story is intended to be spiritual allegory, historical fiction, or simple entertainment with kick-boxing squirrels, Christian authors still need to apply biblical guidelines. Ephesians 4:29 says, Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. A few verses later, Paul admonishes, There must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting (Ephesians 5:4). For writers, it is critical to remember that every story contains some element of teaching, whether its intentional or not. Its important to know what youre intending to communicate, even if people take it wrong. Teaching is serious business (James 3:1), so we need to be clear about what were saying. Remember Colossians 3:23, which says, Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men... That goes for whether youre speaking in front of people, writing a poem or story, making a video, or creating visual art. We are Gods workmanship, created to do good things, so lets make sure we do just that (Ephesians 2:10)!
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:38:57 +0000
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