Spiritual Stories

I was stilling and enjoying one of my favorite pastimes today, (drinking coffee) when I overhead a group of zealous, devoted Christians talking next to me. They were discussing one of my other favorite pastimes, reading. One of them was talking about reading Towzer and Ravenhill, both fine authors. The other was telling how they no longer read any fiction because it was a waste of time. This saddened me. I realize that many works of fiction are not of much, if any good. Indeed, many of them may be dark, or in extreme cases directly evil. But storytelling is a precious gift from God that we can enjoy and use to grow. I am personally very fond of storytelling, both others' and my own. Jesus Himself used stories to illustrate His points. In fact, we find that Jesus didn't teach the crowd with anything other than parables. (Matthew 13:35)

So what is 'good' fiction and what is bad? Does it have to be from a Christian author? Is it anything you can order from Christian Book Distributor's? Only if written by people with a degree in Theology? To make any of these our guideline for literature would be foolish. I have read books by 'Christian' authors that had far worse implications than those written by non-Christians. Also, I have read excellent books that were written by Christian authors.

God tells us about Himself in story. In fact, the entire O.T. is one long literary novel. It is indeed non-fiction, but it is a story nonetheless. The O.T. prophets often spoke in literary stories and the last book of the N.T. also gives us a narrative. If God puts such a value and usage into storytelling, why do we not do so as well?

Many times truth is revealed in story that is nigh impossible to show in other ways. Many amazing stories have been penned throughout history to show us points that we would not have been able to put our finger on if they had been told in a different medium. Imagination was given to us by our Creator. It is something He has and has given unto us. We are made in His image, and should use what we have been given to glorify Him. In the words of Dietrich Boenhoffer, ""Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will."In the same way, avoiding all fictional literature as a 'waste of time' is far more like avoiding the ability to reason and learn and instead  of actively learning and growing.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that those friends were being sacrilegious; I think that they meant well. And if that is indeed the conviction that God has given them then I do not believe they should change them. God does not convict us all the same way. For good reason. God has created so many people because He has a unique story to tell in each life. God does not intend for us to all become identical. We are to be unique children of God. If we were not, there would not be need for more then one Son. If we were to become exactly the same, there would be no possibility of plurality. God desires for us to each be a unique work of His hand, for His glory. For this reason, we are all different.

In the end, God's conviction should produce our obedience. We are to be what He asks us to be. We are to love Him and His children. In doing so we are truly His children.