story

Does Fiction Lie? Thoughts on Truth and Christian Storytelling

 

“Is it wrong for Christians to … write, read or even watch fictitious material?” asked a commenter named Mukwemba on Zondervan’s Facebook page today.

Mukwemba (who permitted the use of her name here) adds some important context: some of her Christian friends do not approve of fiction, arguing this:

Fiction is wrong because it’s not true… As Christians we should hold fast to the truth and not saturate our minds with falsehoods regardless of what “good” they seem to bring about.

I’m sure Mukwemba’s friends are well-meaning, but I believe they are mistaken. I will show you why writing fiction can be an excellent calling.

 

An Editor Speaks

I sent Mukwemba’s question to my coworker Sue Brower, who is an Executive Editor here at Zondervan. Sue says:

When Jesus wanted to teach something to his disciples, he used story—Parables.  Fiction is truth in story form.  It makes concepts more accessible to the reader because the reader relates to the characters and sees themselves in the story.

I agree wholeheartedly with Sue. Let’s look more closely at the biblical basis behind these points.

 

3 Biblical Observations about Fiction

1. Fiction can help us understand, love, and serve others.

A writer (whom I can’t recall) said stories help us “extend our sympathies” toward others who are different from us. In other words, stories can open our eyes to suffering we didn’t see before. With this new awareness, we can choose to better love and serve others.

I can think of two examples where fiction is even linked to changes in public policy. Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, portrayed the struggle of older workers so well that Miller’s story was invoked during a 1968 Senate hearing (The Adequacy of Services for Older Workers) as a sketch of the obstacles that face older Americans. Also, a novel by Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, actually influenced the passing of new health legislation for the meatpacking industry in the city of Chicago!

2. Fiction can show you truth about yourself.

Sometimes a story is a mirror. Let’s look at an example from the Bible: after King David hides his sin with Bathsheba, remember how Nathan gets through to David? Nathan goes to David and says,

‘There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

‘Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’

Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul… Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites…”‘

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” [-From 2 Samuel 12:1-18, NIV]

So if you’re reading a story and think, “I can relate to this character,” keep your eyes peeled. You may find some some fresh insight into your own motivations, maybe even sins. I’ve been given a few such “eureka” moments through fiction, most memorably from reading Douglas Coupland’s story collection, Life After God, and a short story by Flannery O’Connor called “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” These stories revealed some of my attitudes that needed to change.

 

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Disciples of Distraction: Reflecting on Technology, Hope and Despair

 

The annual January Series of Calvin College in Zondervan's hometown of Grand Rapids, MI, is a delight for anyone excited by the intersection of faith and culture.

If you're intrigued by how technology transforms our behavior and brains, this year's January Series boasted a special treat. The presentation delivered by Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and clinical psychologist, was called "Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other." (The lecture was related to Prof. Turkle's book of the same name.)

While I was not able to attend the presentation, Zondervan author Mike Wittmer was there, and he published an excellent summary of Turkle's points on his blog. I found this point particularly stirring:

[Turkle says] People who must constantly check their phone for new messages say that their mobile device feels like a place of hope. They desperately want the message they find there to make their lives interesting.

[Wittmer adds] This reminds me of what the medieval Christians called sloth. Sloth … is the sin of distraction, which is rooted in despair. Is it a coincidence that our Age of Distraction is also an Age of Despair?

People see their mobile device as a place of hope? I have felt a little tingle of hope before logging on to Facebook, and my shoulders slumped whenever new activity failed to deliver whatever abstract commodity I was looking for. I didn't think I was looking for sources of hope and joy, but I think that was (at least part of) my motivation.

 

Learn more about The Next Story
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But before we all throw our iPhones on a pyre, let's remember some salient points from Tim Challies's recent book on  technology, The Next Story:

"[It] is not the technology itself that is good or evil; it is the human application of that technology."

"Rather than changing the technology to fit our understanding of what is right and wrong, we change ourselves and our society's rules and mores, and we reshape ourselves in the image of the mobile phone."

"That iPhone in your pocket is not an 'evil' device. Yet it is prone to draw your heart away from God, to distract you and enable you to rely on your own abilities rather than trusting God."

"Our task, then, is not to avoid technology but to carefully evaluate it, redeem it, and ensure that we are using it with the right motives and for the right goals."

From the 50-some pages I've read of Challies' The Next Story, it's valuable for helping us see how our favorite technologies affect us. (That's just my opinion. You can read an excerpt of The Next Story on Scribd.)

What do you think about all of this?

Are you more distracted, or less distracted, than you were ten years ago?

Mike Wittmer reminds us that medieval Christians linked distraction to despair. Do you think despair is a motivation behind some of your technology habits?

 

More about Tim Challies & The Next Story

A pastor, speaker, and author, Tim Challies (@challies) is a pioneer in the Christian blogosphere. Over 20,000 people visit Challies.com each day, making it one of the most widely read and recognized Christian blogs in the world. Tim is also the editor of DiscerningReader.com, a site dedicated to offering thoughtful reviews of books that are of interest to Christians. Tim is the author of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment and Sexual Detox. (Learn more about Challies's books and eBooks.)

 

More about Mike Wittmer

Michael Wittmer is professor of systematic and historical theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and his books for Zondervan include Heaven is a Place on Earth: Why Everything Matters to God, and Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough. Visit his blog at mikewittmer.wordpress.com.

 

Hear author Gabe Lyons & N.T. Wright at the January Series 2012

Listen to these Zondervan authors' presentations live-stream online:

 

(This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's opinions are their own, and are shared for information purposes only. To receive new blogposts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

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“Before You Were Mine” and Telling Your Adopted Child’s Life Story

 

Learn More about Before You Were Mine Learn More

November is National Adoption Month, and I found a cool Activity Calendar that shares daily adoption-themed activities.

Know what isn’t on the Calendar, though? “Share a good resource for adoptive parents.” But I’m going to share a good book with you anyway.

Before You Were Mine: Discovering Your Adopted Child’s Lifestory is a new Zondervan release by Susan A. TeBos and Carissa R. Woodwyk. Susan (an adoptive mother) and Carissa (an adoptee daughter) bring a solid Christian perspective to the book, which will guide you through creating a “Lifebook” for your adopted child.

The Lifebook idea is more than inspiring! The Lifebook you create will tell your adopted child’s story in a way that helps them to see God’s faithfulness and rest in Christ’s love. To help you craft your child’s Lifebook, Before You Were Mine gives you real-life stories, advice, and practical excercises.

Below you’ll find out what people are saying about Before You Were Mine. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment on this post.
(-Londa Alderink, Zondervan Trade Team)

What people are saying about Before You Were Mine

Before You Were Mine is another way in which adoptive parents can help their child feel an extra measure of love and care. A great resource for all adoptive families.

-Mary Beth and Steve Curtis Chapman, Grammy Award
winning singer/songwriter and adoption advocates

Studies have shown that adopted individuals are interested in their birth and placement history, and that many adoptive parents, even those who do not describe themselves as religious, can sense the role of Providence in bringing their families together. Before You Were Mine brings these two concepts together by describing the work of a loving Father acting purposefully in the lives of children and families, and offering suggestions on how parents can help their adopted children know and understand their individual stories by recording the relevant thoughts, details, and experiences into ‘Lifebooks.’

-Chuck Johnson, President and CEO, National Council for Adoption

This is a resource every adoptive parent needs to own.  Our adoptive children depend on us to put the pieces of their life together for them.  While I’m not a naturally creative person, Susan and Carissa have given me the tools to be successful in telling my son’s life story!

-Jill Savage, CEO, Hearts at Home, author of 7 books
including Professionalizing Motherhood, adoptive mom 


Before You Were Mine is not only worth reading but worth referring back to again and again. Written from the perspective of an adoptive mother and an adoptee, it beautifully blends personal experience, the advice of experts, and God’s promises. Full of touching vignettes, it walks the reader through not only how to create a Lifebook but why it matters in the life of a child.

-Kris Faasse, LMSW, ACSW, director of Adoption Services,
Bethany Christian Services

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Closed Door Stories: Looking Back on God’s Love

 

God just closed a door. That’s because (A) He loves me, (B) He doesn’t love me.

 

We posed that question yesterday, and the reader response on Facebook confirmed that many of us are dealing with confusing and frustrating “closed doors.” Closed doors might make some of us wonder if God is really up to something good in our lives — maybe He’s judging us, or maybe He isn’t even paying attention!

My Zondervan teammates and I can relate to those struggles, and we hope to encourage you. Below you’ll find a couple of our personal stories that share how God has used closed doors to reveal his faithfulness and goodness to us. We pray that you will know God’s loving presence in your struggle, too.

First, if you missed the Daily Inspiration email that kicked off this conversation, here’s the excerpt from Max Lucado’s God’s Story, Your Story.

When God locks a door, it needs to be locked. When he blocks a path, it needs to be blocked. When he stuck Paul and Silas in prison, God had a plan for the prison jailer. As Paul and Silas sang, God shook the prison. “At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:26).

There God goes again, blasting open the most secure doors in town. When the jailer realized what had happened, he assumed all the prisoners had escaped. He drew his sword to take his life. When Paul told him otherwise, the jailer brought the two missionaries out and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul told him to believe. He did, and he and all his family were baptized. The jailer washed their wounds, and Jesus washed his sins. God shut the door of the jail cell so that he could open the heart of the jailer.    

God uses closed doors to advance his cause.

  • He closed the womb of a young Sarah so he could display his power to the elderly one.
  • He shut the palace door on Moses the prince so he could open shackles through Moses the liberator.
  • He marched Daniel out of Jerusalem so he could use Daniel in Babylon.
  • And Jesus. Yes, even Jesus knew the challenge of a blocked door. When he requested a path that bypassed the cross, God said no. He said no to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane so he could say yes to us at the gates of heaven…

Your blocked door doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you. Quite the opposite. It’s proof that he does.

 

“Closed Door” Stories from the Zondervan Crew

First, Jonathan shares:

One of the first tangible “closed door” experiences in my adult life was when my wife miscarried our first child. We had been married less than a year, and it wasn’t a planned pregnancy. The unexpected joy of the pregnancy was almost immediately contrasted with the shock of its loss. We were struck with life’s big questions: Why does God bring these experiences into our lives? What’s the purpose of pain? Why is life created, only to be snuffed out? Does God display his power over us occasionally, just to remind us who’s boss?

Those kinds of questions can’t be answered in a day or by the sing-songy clichés of a greeting card. Through the support of others, prayer, grieving, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, we were able to find rest in the truth that God does love us and the child we never got to meet. Pain and struggle in this world are the result of sin, but God is faithful to use even those experiences to bring us closer to him. Our hope was deferred for a moment. About a year later, we welcomed our second child, James, into the world.  

-Jonathan

 

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Going Deeper (3 Commitments on the Way)



I've said it, and maybe you have too: "I wish the preaching would go deeper." What did we really mean?

I wondered this when I read a recent post by pastor and writer Kurt Willems (@kurtwillems). Willems knows a lot of people who have left their church because it didn't go deep enough. This is occasionally a valid reason, but Willems suspects it's more likely to be a holy-sounding excuse for leaving a church that we just don't like.

 

What does "going deeper" really look like?

To challenge our thinking about what we're looking for (and not looking for) in our faith journey, Willems quotes from writer/pastor Alan Danielson's 3-point definition of going deeper:

 

1. Going deeper into my commitment to God's Church.

I can't be committed to Jesus (the head) without being committed to the church (His body)…

 

2. Going deeper into my commitment to the world.

…If I am to "go deeper" I must dive deeper into the muck and mire of a borken world in order to reach people…

 

3. Going deeper into my commitment to being mastered by Christ.

I'm a work-in-progress, and the more God works on me, the more progress I realize I need…

 

Danielson summarizes, "Deepening knowledge is not enough; it must accompany deepening commitments!" On Willems' post, commenter Craig Falvo reminds us that commitment will become visible in action:  "At my last church, going deeper would mean … getting into the Word. Lots of talk about it, little emphasis on doing." Falvo then pleasantly surprised us by adding, "At my current church, we … are working our way through the Bible using Zondervan's The Story.  The emphasis from preaching bleeds over into the small  groups… The trick is going to be to keep the excitment going throught the year." (Incidentally, Falvo makes a good point that it can be a challenge to remain engaged throughout a year-long series. Soon we'll share some tips on how your church can make the most out of your year in The Story.)

My personal opinion of The Story is that it first targets Commitment #3. The Story helps people encounter the Christ of Scripture (#3); The Story also helps people unite as a church body (#1); the united body serves by spreading Christ's love and hope to the world (#2).

Which of the three commitments of going deeper do you find most difficult, and which is most energizing? Commitment to God's church, commitment to reaching our world, or commitment to being mastered by Christ?

Learn more about how The Story is taking people deep into Scripture.

(-Adam Forrest, Zondervan Internet Team. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its partners and representatives. The writer's opinions are his own, and he's sharing them for information and entertainment purposes only.)


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The Story CD: A Soundtrack to the Bible Story



This week The Story CD hit streets, featuring 18 new songs performed by a parade of talent that includes Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Francesca Bottiscelli, Amy Grant, and Mark Hall & Megan Garrett of Casting Crowns. (A tip for the fans: there are video interviews with the artists, including Mark Hall and others, on their experience with The Story.)

The music on The Story CD was inspired by three recent books: Randy Frazee’s The Heart of the Story, Max Lucado’s God’s Story, Your Story, and The Story. Since reading The Story is like reading the Bible in novel form, I wonder if that makes The Story CD like the soundtrack to the Bible story? The abridged soundtrack anyway. Eighten of the major biblical characters receive their own song. You can see the track listing and sample the songs at thestorycd.com.


Learn more about The Story CD & DVD

The lyricist Nichole Nodeman wrote the lyrics in first-person, which intrigued me. One of my favorite ways to meditate on Scripture is to put myself in the human characters’ position, then ask msyself questions like, “How do I behave like this person? What does God think of this behavior? What’s a better way?” This seems to fit with one of Nodeman’s goals in this project, which she describes as:

…to be able to listen to these songs and feel more connected to these people that walked before us and learned lessons that we’re still learning… There’s such a tendency to turn them into superheroes and have these big, takeaway, moral-of-the-story moments. For me it was all about the humanity. These were broken people who were desperate and needed God. They were just like us. I really believe that, and I think sometimes we forget.

Preview the Songs
You can preview the songs at www.thestorycd.com.

Based on the samples at thestorycd.com, which song is your favorite? My personal favorite is the Apostle Paul’s song, “Move in Me,” performed by Jeremy Camp. It’s half blues-rock stomper, half orchestral ode to joy, which makes the perfect musical mix to represent Paul’s guts … inspired by Christ’s glory. The music styles of the other songs span pop, hip-hop, ballads, and rock.

 

Also of Interest: The DVD and Music Tour
The Story DVD also released this week, and you can learn more about The Story music tour that will hit 13 US cities in December 2011.

 

(-Adam Forrest, Zondervan Internet Team. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its partners and representatives. The writer’s opinions are his own, and he’s sharing them for information and entertainment purposes only.)


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Easter Story Cast, Clips, and Thanks

We hope you enjoyed the Easter Story Blog Series as much as we did! Would you like to hear more audio clip experiences on Zondervan Blog? Leave your thoughts, suggestions or questions as comments on this blog post.

Subscribe to Zondervan Blog

Some exciting stuff is coming up on Zondervan Blog (including guest posts from Zondervan authors, book giveaways, and a few surprises…) Subscribe to Zondervan Blog in your favorite reader to keep up on the action!

(If you subscribed to the Easter Story Series RSS, that’s only for audio clip posts. We recommend you add this RSS to your reader so you’ll get everything worth reading.)

 

 

The Cast of the Easter Story

Did you recognize any of these voices from the Bible Experience clips?

  • Luke (Narrator) – Terry Crews
  • John (Narrator) – LeVar Burton
  • Matthew (Narrator) – Wren T. Brown
  • Mark (Narrator) – Victor Love
  • Jesus – Blair Underwood
  • God the Father – Samuel L. Jackson
  • Mary Magdalene – Tisha Campbell Martin
  • Mary, the mother of Jesus – Nia Long
  • Simon Peter – Kirk Franklin
  • Judas – Cuba Gooding, Jr.
  • Pilate – Charles S. Dutton
  • The Psalm Reader – Christopher Morgan
  • Angel of the Lord – Angela Bassett

 

If you had trouble with the audio this week, use these links:

We’ve heard the audio player didn’t work for some of you. We’re very sorry about that! Here are direct links to each of the audio clips. (They’re MP3 files and should open in your computer or device’s default audio player.)
Palm Sunday
Fig Monday
Holy Tuesday
Spy Wednesday
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
Easter Sunday

 

The Easter Story Blog Series was brought to you by The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible, Zondervan Blog, and every one of you who participated. Thank you for joining us this Easter! (-The Editors of Zondervan Blog)

 

About the Audio Clips

This series uses audio clips from The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible. This award-winning audio Bible is fully dramatized, featuring a cinematic musical score and voice talent from stars including Blair Underwood, Jeffrey Wright, Kirk Franklin, Nia Long, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and many more.

You can purchase The Bible Experience in The Complete Bible on Audio CD or The Complete Bible, Audio MP3 Downloads on CD.

 Bible Experience: Complete Bible

Related  Resources

Companion Bible
Companion Bible

Old Testament Audio CDs
Old Testament

New Testament Audio CDs
New Testament

   
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Easter Story: Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday … "Do not be afraid …"

 

Listen to the Story

Listen to the Story

If the audio doesn't load when you click this link, click your browser's "Refresh" button or try this link.


Read Along (Matthew 28)

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 

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Easter Story: Holy Saturday

On Holy Saturday (And Whenever Trouble Is Near)…

 

Listen to the Story

Listen to the Story

If the audio doesn't load when you click this link, click your browser's "Refresh" button. That will start the Easter Story player.

 

Read Along (Psalm 22)

[Many scholars believe that when Christ exclaimed from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," he was alluding to Psalm 22. Listen to the psalm and see if you agree.]

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
   so far from the words of my groaning?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
   by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
   you are the praise of Israel.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
   they trusted and you delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved;
   in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

 

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Easter Story: Good Friday

Listen to the trial, passion and death of Jesus.

 

On Good Friday … A Cross to Bear

 

Listen to the Story

Listen to the Story

-Audio from The Bible Experience

 

Read Along (Mark 15:1-32, Luke 23:32-39, Mark 15:33-47)

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "You have said so," Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

 

Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. "What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

 

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