Perhaps this post should go on my Upon Reflection Blog, but I believe this is more of a global rant, rather than centered upon Christian fiction, I'll post it here.
Do we have a perception problem here? Wilson laments that the Christian fiction realm has become basically a milk and water pool with everything "scrubbed clean" so it will be palatable to the Christian market.
I disagree with that. I read five books a month, sometimes less sometimes more, and I completely understand Wilson's lament about the "poorly written" novels... but not about the "scrubbed clean" menu. I've read some things by Ted Dekker which frankly I couldn't stomach the whole because it conjured up images that made my stomach roil. Don't get me wrong, his writing is so excellent and my imagination so strong that the combination of the two put me into the criminals head too logistically and I went places I desired not to go. That won't keep me from reading more of Ted Dekker.
Eric, if you have a problem with milk and water publishers, then find another publisher! Bob Liparilo has some graphic stuff in his adult suspense that Thomas Nelson has no problem publishing. FaithWords publishes the graphic angst offered by Travis Thrasher, and Strang publishes Mike Dellosso's graphic mysteries, so why is Wilson giving up? Because he doesn't want to censor the "raw elements"?
There is a verse in scripture that I would like to remind you of, Eric.Philippians 4:8 For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever honorable, whatever is right, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever of good report, if of any virtue, and if of any praise, think on these things.
Does this mean that we are not to get our hands dirty witnessing to the lost? God forbid! But, we are to live to a higher standard and we are to write by a higher standard! Write from God's heart. Glorifying the sins of God's people and of the lost is not within God's will. Living to a higher standard of conduct is not a suggestion therefore if we are commanded to live to the higher standard, then it follows that we are to write to a higher standard and if that means we must work harder and longer to craft sentences without vulgar language, and without the baser graphics that secular authors offer, then so be it. The rewards are higher, too.
God promised to provide for our every need, not to make us rich or provide roses without thorns. We should write our consciousnesses and on a Biblical level, trusting God to put the words in our hearts that He would have us to write.
3 comments:
Gina, thank you for wrestling with this subject as I have.
To be clear (and I can only hope you read my original article, instead of only snippets elsewhere), I never said I was leaving CBA over this. I actually challenged the market to broaden its view beyond the church, and to have the heart that Jesus has for the world beyond the pews. From a business point of view, CBA does what it does to survive. But I do believe we are called to be salt and light in the world, not only in our religious enclaves.
I hope the issues of commerce and censorship, which many have focused on, don't detract from the real issue: if we are called, as believers, to reach the lost, the sick, and the dying, how do we go about that as a Christian arts community.
Again, thanks for continuing the discussion.
Eric
Eric, I did read your Open Letter and there are many of your points that I agree with you. Please note that the title of my post takes the reader directly to your letter.
Thank you so much for clearing up what I didn't understand! I'm really glad you aren't throwing in the towel, so to speak. That would have been a huge deficit in the CBA.
(There wasn't a place to comment, or I would have continued the discussion there.)
It concerns me because this was a discussion that we had on the Faith*in*Fiction message board which actually split the membership down the middle. Should we be graphic and gritty as "real life" is, or should we set ourselves to a higher and more creative standard to get the point and message across without all the gross details. This is the question that I understood you to raise...
Also, bless you for coming to this lowly blog :) I am honored!
Greetings Gina -
I agree that we should write foremost for the Lord. Seek first the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness and all these things shall be added (Matthew 6:33).
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