Why do I write Christian fiction?

This is a good question, but perhaps to answer it, we should take a step backward and address a more basic question.

 What is Christian fiction?

Best-selling Christian fiction author, Francine Rivers, puts it this way:

If you pull out the Christian thread from the plot and the plot unravels, it’s Christian fiction.  – Francine Rivers

Christian fiction is fiction with a Christian worldview. Philippians 4:8 tells us:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Similarly, Colossians 3:1-2 tells us to set our heart (and our minds) on things above. This is clear guidance to direct what we should be writing (and reading).

With so much darkness around us, the world needs hope. Christian fiction can provide that hope. Sometimes when all is going wrong around us, taking a break from the world, curling up with a book and a mug of tea can offer an escape into the world of happy endings. Stories allow us to walk in someone else’s shoes, to laugh when they laugh, and to cry when they cry.

Books need to entertain, or no one would want to read them, but the goal of a Christian author is to do more than entertain. We write about characters who love God and are trying to follow His will, about characters who are lost and trying to find their way, and about what happens when those two worlds collide.

But what’s really the point? If we want to read about God, shouldn’t we just read the Bible?

Absolutely! The Bible is the number one best-selling book of all time (by at least an order of magnitude) for good reason. All Christians should read the Bible regularly. Where else will you find the direct Word of God?

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (NIV)

Time spent reading the Bible is time well-invested. But even Jesus spoke in parables, earthly stories with heavenly meanings. People love stories, and are moved by stories. When the prophet Nathan confronted King David about his sins in 2 Samuel 12:1-8, he used a story, a parable, to help him see his sins. David couldn’t see it in himself, but he could see the injustice in Nathan’s story. That can be true of many of us.

One other reason? God is creative! Anyone who has ever seen a field of wildflowers, purple mountain peaks crested with snow, or a glorious sunset of colors splashed across the sky can attest to this. God said we are created in his image, so to be creative is to be true to our very nature as people created in the image of God.

 If I can write a story that speaks to someone’s heart that will ultimately draw them closer to God, then I believe I have done what God has called me to do.

Have you been moved by Christian fiction? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.