I’ve debated whether I wanted to post this, but I’ve decided to proceed. I currently write dark fantasy, but because of the recent shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and a shooting that happened 10 years ago at my college, NIU, I’m now writing a clean Christian story.
To some, my last state may seem strange, but I do not believe a Christian story needs to be clean.
But let me clear up a couple points:
- My books do not include sexual themes. There’s no point, especially since Hollywood already desires to fill our minds with images detrimental to our spiritual, physical, and mental health. Why should I add to mainstream themes? Why should any Christian author? Also, the Bible forbids it.
- Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. – 1st Corinthians 6:18-20
- News flash: the eyes are a part of our bodies.
- Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. – Colossians 3:5
- But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. – Ephesians 5:3
- Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. – 1st Corinthians 6:18-20
- My books do not use profanity. Again, I fail to to see the reason especially if the language is not God honoring, or blasphemous.
- Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. – Ephesians 5:4
- Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29
- Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. – Ephesians 5:4
- Of course, this becomes difficult because I have non-Christian characters who aren’t Godly. In fact, one character, in my first book, becomes drunk and stumbles back to his home. I believe this is okay because I’m not glorifying drinking, in fact this character comes face-to-face with evil spirits who taunt him.
- What about violence?
- I likewise include violence in my books, but again, I do not wish to glorify violence. I wish to show depravity and how much, one of my characters, is in need of grace.
With this new story, I’ll have none of the above, except I’ll have people joking around with each other, but the joke will be taken the right way by the person receiving them. For example, Joe jokes around with Dan only if Dan would accept the joke. Joe’s joke is not meant to be spiteful. Dan does not take the joke personal. Maybe Joe interacts with another person, John, but Joe does not joke with John. John does not appreciate jokes, which doesn’t make him less of a person, only a different type of person. Joe does not lose a part of himself by not joking and is okay with joking or not joking.
In short, my characters will have perfect interaction amongst each other. Hmm, I wonder if that will ever happen? (My attempt at sarcastic humor…)
Well anyways, I’m excited about this clean Christian story because it’ll be a spin-off to my current series, “The Great Pursuit.” But, it’ll be in some sense, the complete opposite. Instead of a dark story (dystopia book), it’ll be a positive story (utopia book).
So I’m wondering, what’s your thoughts on a clean Christian story? Do you find any flaws with my thoughts?
