This is a quote I’ve been wrestling with while reading Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle for my Capstone. I’ve been struggling lately with giving my art to God without directly mentioning Him by name. In a section where she talks about “Christian” art, L’Engle brings up that whatever brings glory to God, whether that was the author’s intent at first or not, is Christian, or that at least it is religious, since authors tend to serve and almost worship their works in order to properly compose them. As Leif Enger was also talking about this week in his lectures and breakout chapel, there are times when he is reading great novels where he said that he felt deeply worshipful nearly the entire time he read it, even if the author or the book had nothing explicitly to do with God or religion.
Enger also said that the only way to serve God is to serve the work, and you serve the work by being truthful about whatever it is that you are portraying. That doesn’t mean that you are truthful about only the depressing things in life; I talked with Enger, and he said that far too often, writers are now only being truthful about the things in life that hurt. And while this is a reality we need to write about, he also said to not forget the things that spark, glint, and exhilarate, because life is full of excitement and beauty too. There is ambition, but there is also whimsy. Good writing—and real life—have a balance of both.
So the question is, would I rather write something where everyone knows that it’s about God and run the risk of having the art come out mutated, or do I write something… well, impious? I think L’Engle and Enger (wow, don’t try to read that fast out loud) would say that if reality is impious, then writing about it truthfully is the only way to redeem it. We talk about bringing our art to God; what if, in simply telling a story, we let it run around its course until it ends up finding God? Is that how we should make good art? Has anyone else worked through this already? Maybe I’m just finally catching up.
I think your points are really interesting, and that's an important issue for every Christian writer to face. A few years ago I read the book "Diary of A Novel" by Eugenia Price, a Christian author who wrote mostly historical fiction. At points, this diary would turn to the role that her Christianity plays in her writing and how she managed to keep the balance without getting overly positive or negative. She said something that has stayed with me since I read it--that religion would play out the same way in her writing that it would in real life.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a simple statement about honesty at first, but I've had to look at a lot of my writing after reading that and think about it: would these characters talk about God at this time? If they would, then include the conversation. If they wouldn't, then don't force them. But I think part of it is to be aware that everyone thinks about religion, even if people often aren't explicit about it and the media doesn't often show it. Make that a real part of your writing, but take it only as far as it would go in real life. Tap into the souls of your characters and be brutally honest, and you'll probably find a healthy balance that can guide you.
I agree with Enger that many times the words we write honestly are just about the ugly things in life. Why can't we write honestly about true joy, pure love? Maybe because these things can easily get cheesy we choose to not write about them. But in real life, these things do actually take our breath way at times because of their intensity and the way we see we are unworthy of them and their grandeur. It's something to think about. It would take more time to write, as well as life experience just as the painful things take life experience.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do think there are times to blatantly write about pithy spirituality and theology. It depends on the audience and occasion. I would much rather read theology from someone who has articulate and expressive writing than someone who is only trying to get the point across in a text book. Many people aren't going to read a text book, so I hope it's available in anotehr form. I think we need to be careful about subtracting ourselves from honest writing about specifically Christian topics as well. We just need to be able to write to any audience and know our boundaries within that audience. Sometimes we need the truth without the mask of a storyline. It just needs to be blunt.
I completely agree with your thoughts about writing impiously. Though there's obviously a market for Christian fiction -- you know, the kind where everything works out perfectly and the problems are hardly problems because the characters have faith. The problem I see with these books, even for Christians, is that they are a form of escapism. It's so easy to read them and then feel like your own faith life is somehow lacking because God doesn't seem to be there for you in the same way he is for the characters in those books.
ReplyDeleteIt's for that reason that I think we should do our best to write for the glory of God by reflecting the reality of the fallen world around us. Our writing may not turn out explicitly Christian, but that doesn't mean it's not written to God's glory. This holds true of Christian fiction as well. If we want to write for the Christian market, we still owe it to our readers to portray Christians struggling with real problems that may not come with easy, cookie-cutter answers.
Great point, Stacey! I still struggle with what makes a piece Christian or not. I’ve especially struggled with that in regards to my first short story for capstone. My professor told me that she didn’t think the character should have a happy ending, hopeful, but not glimmering. Sometimes it seems as though we always pay attention to the bad things life in stories. At least, they’re depressing. In fact, it’s really hard to end a story with a happy ending. Yet, there’s a time and place for the depressing end. It doesn’t always have to be that way. All that matter is that God is being glorified through the piece, whether it is explicitly Christian or not. I do believe that a story can have impious things in it. Mine does. It just depends on how that is being portrayed. Okay, I guess my rant is done now, but that was a great topic!
ReplyDeleteWhat Leif Enger said in reaction to writing about Jesus in an honoring way has stuck with me. He said just to speak the truth. He said to BE HONEST in your writing. Through that, there should be nothing to fear. When writing about faith and God you should be writing from the core of truth within you, not the shavings of the understanding of someone else. It makes me cringe to read a poorly written Christian diddy that clearly is not practical. If I were not a Christian, these works would not turn me to Christ. I am cautious to remain in God's truth because my truth gives no hope. I don't want to fudge my journey to righteousness. Gross.
ReplyDeleteI find that when my heart is not in track with following God that day, my writing reflects that. In my opinion, I do not glorify God through my gambling of empty words from a dried out soul. I honor Him through reflecting onto a page what is shining out of my heart. I am most inspired after being purified in His word. The writing may not be directly related to religious themes or about Christ, but I can still worship God through the message that he can permeate hearts with.
Thanks for this topic, Stacey :)
Great post, Stacey, and one that I think merits a rousing discussion (or many). [Strong Opinions Coming!] I also especially liked what you said about writing truthfully and Enger's take on that: "Far too often, writers are now only being truthful about the things in life that hurt." This is my major ranting complaint (one that other people have commented on above) about the writing we read in classes. I don't think it's the fault of our teachers :). I think it is symptomatic of a larger problem, which is about how we define "literary writing" and how positively or negatively our society approaches the world. I think another symptom of this worldview, one that feeds itself, is the extreme darkness that pervades YA lit. People are much more content with light stories and playful endings when they perceive the world to be such. But, in a cyclical way, the stories we absorb also tell us how the world is, and color our world very darkly or brightly depending on what we choose to take in. I think the stories we tell reflect not only culture but very much how we, personally, see the world.
ReplyDeleteIf we're being dishonest, people can tell--it has a plasticky cloying feel. It's shouting louder in an effort to drown out your own conscience. It's Slughorn faking his own memory, and doing a bad job. (Harry Potter, anyone?)
But. If we are willing to be honest, then I think the writer is serving the work in a very great way, because truth is a good thing wherever it is, even in the hard stuff. And even in the happy stuff! But writing happy is no less difficult than writing hurt. Sometimes it's more so. But it's worth it, if it's true.
Here is my thought, with the very limited experience I've had. I think, if we're concerned about babysitting our work, making it say nice things about God and other people, then we need to step back and ask ourselves honest questions. What do I REALLY think about this? Why is my experience or urge to write something not lining up with facts I thought I knew about God and his world? I think we need to start with what's happening inside of us, spiritually. Amanda pointed out, "Everyone thinks about religion, even if people often aren't explicit about it and the media doesn't often show it." I don't think we should worry overly much about how we're presenting God and his world. Worry about writing well and living well with God and the rest will follow. He can take care of himself.
Thanks for the thoughts, everyone! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks about religion in writing, and how all of it seems to be so dark. I remember a quote from Anne Lamott (if I'm spelling it right), which goes something to the effect of: "There's no point in writing hopeless novels. We all know that we're going to die. What matters is the kind of men and women we will be in light of that knowledge." (That's from Bird by Bird, if anyone cares to look it up)
ReplyDeleteI do agree that writing needs to be real like life, and life is gritty and harsh at times, but it is also beautiful. I want to write about both. Not in the Disney, everything-works-out-perfectly way, but in a way that lets the reader know that even if a conclusion isn't in sight for the character, they can still hope in something.
Thanks, all!
You asked if you should "write something where everyone knows that it’s about God and run the risk of having the art come out mutated, or do I write something… well, impious?"
ReplyDeleteMy question is, what is the definition of impious? Are there only two kinds of books: either impious ones or mutated God-stories?
Too often, I have watched fellow students, eager to write well, fill their stories with language, bars, and cigarettes, as though that will somehow prove that they aren't stooping to the all-terrible Christian story. But aren't those ones bad, too? I'm uneasy with the conclusion reached by young writers who recognize the problems in the Christian genre--the conclusion that says, "Stories about God=bad and unrealistic" and "stories about dark stuff=good and realistic."
We should be writing honestly, and I don't think we're being honest with ourselves if we write a story that isn't us just to make sure that it is not something else.
I agree that there's a point where people insert "bad" things simply to avoid a cliched Christian story. However, I do think there's a place where language (if it fits a character), bars, and cigarettes can belong in stories written by Christians. You say we're not being honest with ourselves if we write a story that "isn't us" to make sure it's not something else. But many of us, though we're Christians, have experiences with these types of things; some students at NWC even struggle with them now. I've never had a cigarette, but I've been around plenty of people who have, and I'd be lying if I said I'd never sworn or ended up in a bar. As a matter of fact, I kind of like some bars -- they have really good fried food and a lot of interesting people.
DeleteIn closing, I think it's all about intention: if your settings and characters are "bad" just for the sake of it, that's not honest writing. But if you have a character that hangs out in bars, drinks, swears, and wrestles with ideas of God and faith, that wrestling would be too "cleaned up" if none of the character's "real life" was portrayed.
I think risking it is definitely worth it. The Lord created everything to reflect either Him or the place where all the beauty came from. In all its original state, it is lovely and filled with glory, and I believer there are little silver threads of that in everything. For instance, emotion is something that can be beautiful or can be very harmful. If someone writes a song about anger or the depth of sadness, that reflects the beauty of deepness and a reality that affects everyone. This doesn't mean you're being negative, it means your scraping off the blackened sugar coating on the outside and getting to the marrow of the subject.
ReplyDeleteThat's what's really beautiful, I think.
I REALLY liked your 2nd to last paragraph. You talked about writers only being truthful things in life that hurt. And while that is important, we also need to "not forget the things that spark, glint, and exhilarate, because life is full of excitement and beauty too. There is ambition, but there is also whimsy." That is so true! Painful experiences are good to write about because we can help those people who have had similar experiences... we can help them process what happened, and we can process more. It is also a good place to be vulnerable. But we also need to write about the good things that happen! That is possibly even more important. That shows God's faithfulness and provision. It also shows a positive aspect of life. Because life truly is a blessing for all of us. To LIVE is an amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteYou said, "Good writing—and real life—have a balance of both." Right on.
i enjoyed your post; your words let me into the flow of your thoughts.
ReplyDeletei love that you want your writing to redound to God's glory. It doesn't strike me as simply the "right thing to say" when you say it, and i appreciate that. i have thought about this, and as far as when to let God appear in stories, my feeling is that it should just happen. How can we find the true God breaking down the doors of our imagination and showing up in our stories? Practically speaking, i think we need to pray and dive deeper into the Word, praying that God would make Himself the most apparent Truth and the brightest Beauty in the universe, as He is. And then, i think we should risk it, take the plunge at some point, and let Him in. Not every story, but some story in whatever few or dozen that we write.