Since this blog is written by a novelist, you might think there is an “s” missing on the title of today’s posting. But that s is missing by design. For me, when I strive to create characters that I want to spend time with, it’s a reminder of the kind of character I need to strive for in myself.
One of the places I often find inspiration for character growth is sitting under the wonderful teaching at my church. Over the weekend, my pastor talked about the way our world assigns value to a person. The world values:
Authority
Accumulation (the natural evidence of wealth—possessing lots of stuff)
Accomplishment
Attraction (in looks or personality)
In Christian fiction I can use the pursuit of such things to deepen my character’s faith journey. On one level these are things we naturally seek, some way of validating ourselves in the world’s eyes. But is that what we should be doing, my Christian characters and I?
One of the questions my pastor asked provides another layer for potential conflict: Is your identity too closely linked to one of these worldly values?
As usual, real life should be mirrored in fiction—at least in character traits—so these are questions I hope my readers will ask even as I ask myself such things. They’re also questions I like to ask as I’m reading a book. Are the characters growing toward a deeper commitment not only to each other if it’s a romantic novel, but in their spiritual life? Searching for specific traits like the ones outlined above will help me to define some of the character layers that can work in so many plot lines.
The answer to such dilemmas, both in life and in Christian fiction, is to focus our identity not on ourselves, but on what God would have us be. Living not for ourselves, but for Him, trusting Him, giving credit to Him, letting life be less about us and more about Him. Something more easily done in characters I can—somewhat—control!
If you’d like to see the entire sermon, click here. Just scroll down to “Most Recent Message.”
So now I’m off to start the week knowing that what pleases God usually refreshes me—so I’ll be keeping this sermon in mind.
Join Me!