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| C. Kevin Thompson |
“That same day Jesus
went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around,
him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the people stood on the shore.
Then he told them many things in parables, saying…” (Matthew 13:1-3; NIV,
emphasis added). Jesus goes on to tell the crowds about a farmer sowing seed: The Parable of The Sower. He follows
this up with other parables: The Weeds,
The Mustard Seed, The Yeast, The Hidden Treasure, The Pearl, and The Net.
After telling The
Parable of the Sower, the disciples came up to him and asked why he spoke
to the crowds in parables (v. 10). Jesus’ answer is very telling:
“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them…This
is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though
seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ In
them is filled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You
will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing, but
never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly
hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might
see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and
turn, and I would heal them.’ (Matthew 13:11, 13-15; cf. Ezekiel 12:2;
Isaiah 6:9-10; emphasis added).
Jesus tells the disciples that they are blessed because they
do
have eyes that see and ears that hear (v. 16).
A stark contrast to the crowds.
As storytellers in our modern society, it seems the pattern
for writing fiction has been established for God’s people, and was done so by
our Lord Himself. When we create a story, no matter what the setting, no matter
who is involved, no matter the time period, the story should “reveal the
kingdom” or explain what “the kingdom of God is like.”
Now, it doesn’t have to be allegorical. Every single name
doesn’t have to have a double meaning or mystical root (See Pilgrim’s Progress for reference). Nor
do your characters have to be fictionalized caricatures of real people in the
Bible (e.g., The Lion in C. Lewis’ The
Chronicles of Narnia series being Jesus; “Aslan” being the Turkish word for
“Lion”). Even though these kinds of stories and techniques have their place,
one size does not fit all. And neither does the story have to take on ALL the
aspects of the world in order to have a real impact (e.g., profanity, etc.).
Jesus managed to use tell parables, using worldly images like birds and flowers
and gold and pearls and hate and greed and power and corruption without soiling
the language itself.
Sometimes, however, your story may deal more with a
theological truth/concept than a person, place, or Biblical passage. My first
book, The Serpent’s Grasp, asks the
question, “What is truth? In the world of science, can truth be found?” My
second book, 30 Days Hath Revenge,
begins to delve into the question of “What is true peace? In a world that cries
out for peace like in the days of Jeremiah, can politics, military might, or
economic clout bring about true peace, or is there something more to it?”
As a fiction writer, our job is to dive deep into these
biblical passages and truths and bring forth a story the crowds can begin to
understand. If Jesus only spoke to the crowds in parables, then shouldn’t that
be our pattern, too (see Matthew 13:34)? We are the keys God uses to open up
the doors of their hearts. After that, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to break down
the door and enter in.
If we write fiction solely for the Christian community,
we’re missing out on so much.* Jesus explained the parables to the disciples
only when they were dull in understanding. However, the parables were never
intended for them. I liken it to our publishing world today. Fiction serves as
the parables. That’s why “preachy fiction” never flies very well. Jesus never
got preachy with his parables for good reason. Those hearing the stories needed
the concepts to come down to their level of spiritual understanding.
In the same vein, non-fiction is for the disciples. This
style tends to get into the nitty-gritty details of a spiritual truth. This is
when Jesus explains things to us, has us stop, pause, reread a page, so our
understanding can increase so we don’t have to keep stopping him and ask, “Can
you explain that to us, please” (see Matthew 13:36)?
Does that mean a believer can’t enjoy a good fiction story?
Of course not. Does that mean an unbeliever should never pick up a non-fiction
book on some biblical passage or truth and read it? Please, say, “No!” You and
I both know God can use anything to reach a person’s heart for the first time.
Apparently, though, the norm is as follows: The stories, the
parables, the fiction is intended for those who “have eyes to see but do not
see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people”
(Ezekiel 12:2).
And those were Jesus’ words. Not mine.
So, may our stories be for the lost as well.
Especially in this ever-darkening world.
*Could this be a reason why Christian fiction is falling on
such hard times? Parables solely for Christians doesn’t follow Jesus’ model,
does it?
A
Clandestine Mission.
A
Cryptic Message.
A
Chaste Promise.
Blake
Meyer dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now,
his life was taking him in a new direction—a desk job. He would be an analyst.
Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy his grandchildren some
day.
But when
a notable member of the IRA is murdered in a London flat, Blake’s secretive
past propels him into the middle of a vindictive, international scheme so
hellish and horrific, it will take everything Blake possesses—all of it—to save
the United States from the most diabolical terrorist attack to date.
C. KEVIN THOMPSON is an ordained minister with a B.A. In
Bible (Houghton College, Houghton, NY), an M.A. in Christian Studies (Wesley
Biblical Seminary, Jackson, MS), and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
(National-Louis University, Wheeling, IL). He presently works as an assistant
principal in a middle school. He also has several years experience as an
administrator at the high school level.
A former Language Arts teacher, Kevin decided to put his
money where his mouth was and write, fiction mostly. Now, years later, Kevin is
a member of the Christian Authors Network (CAN), American Christian Fictions
Writers (ACFW), and Word Weavers International. He is the Chapter President of
Word Weavers-Lake County (FL), and his published works include two
award-winning novels, The Serpent’s Grasp
(Winner of the 2013 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference Selah
Award for First Fiction) and 30 Days Hath
Revenge - A Blake Meyer Thriller: Book 1, as well as articles in The Wesleyan Advocate, The Preacher, Vista,
The Des Moines Register and The Ocala
Star-Banner.
Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, and Criminal Minds, loves anything to do with Star Trek, and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, too.
Facebook: C. Kevin Thompson – Author Fan Page
Twitter: @CKevinThompson
Goodreads: C. Kevin Thompson
