I used to say “Christian Fiction,” but I got tired of watching people back away figuring I was going to thump their head with a hidden Bible. Christianities, as my friend calls it, conjures innumerable tangents and emotions. Since I can’t finesse fears, joys, assumptions and expectations in a one sentence and since no one actually cares anyway, I now say I write “Fiction.”
“What kind?”
“Commercial.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I want to sell it.”
But if someone did care and had a cup of coffee in their hand, this is what I’d say:
I want to write about the people that believe Christianity and Secularism are polarized values. I make my characters, passionate about a side, and then force them to intersect with one another, so they can go through the painful process of discovering each other’s unique gifts to the world.
I force them to seek and find commonality, because I am tired of the isolation and segregation we choose — red state / blue state, pro life / pro choice, Fundamental / Progressive. Everyone is shouting about intolerance and justice and truth. Even research agencies are saying we have become more polarized.
I believe Christians and the Secularists often have reasonable values to explain the way they think and the change they hope to bring into the world. If folks could just put down the poster boards and hit the coffee shops to talk with one another… Ooops.
See, there I go being unreasonable. It’s simply not in human nature. Masses of people are moved by fear and anger; not reason-ability. The dark side of things mobilizes. Violence is such a handy change agent.
So, this is why I write.
I crave that idealism, that fiction, to communicate my hope for the world — the hope that we can experience our agendas fall away in the personal interaction. It’s not about conversion, but connection.
In my world, I can show the people on both sides doing this, and I can show how, why and what could happen. I guess here behind my computer, I’m an idealist at a coffee shop. Now, if I could just get someone to sit down . . .
Thanks Sagey. Yes, g, I hear you. And I love the quote.
I wonder if St Francis of Assisi posted this quote above his writing slate: “Preach the Gospel at all times — and when necessary use words.” 🙂
I wholeheartedly agree with the “coffee shop” approach to approaching issues…sometimes I wonder if civil discourse is a lost art!
Also, connection is great, but a side effect of conversion is wonderful as well, even if it’s a “soft” conversion of drawing people to Christ through the undercurrent of the stories we write or how we live our lives. I remember a video by Penn Jillette (from Penn & Teller) which touched upon his atheism, and he made an interesting point (and I’m going off of memory here) that a Christian who doesn’t try to bring people to Christ is like a bystander who doesn’t bother to warn someone standing on tracks about an oncoming train.
It’s great (but by no means easy) when the stories we write can be enjoyed by and reach people on both a secular and Christian level 🙂
I believe we are getting close to a time where the desire for this kind of coming together is palpable.
I think you are the hero Gotham needs.