Believe is a cool word. Unlike it’s quieter brother, belief, it’s an action word. It jumps up and does something where belief stands quietly and says, “This is who I am.” Believe says, “This is what I do.”
My books are one way that I show what I believe. There are little nuances in them that many people have caught and asked me about–others didn’t need to ask. They knew me before the books. I thought I’d share a few of those things for those who were curious but hadn’t asked.
Church- People in most of my books attend churches without traditional names. They attend “The Church” or “The Assembly.” The Mission is a mission, but it isn’t associated with a denomination any more than the others are. One woman asked if it was meant to be inclusive of all denominations. It isn’t. It’s actually a reflection upon my personal beliefs about fractions in the church. I don’t believe in calling myself “Lutheran, Calvinist, or Campbellite.” For one thing, I happen to know that Luther and Campbell were against those titles. Why would we disrespect them that way if we respect their teaching? For another, Paul made a pretty strong statement against naming ourselves after apostles, so why would we do it with theologians? Titles like “Methodist, Presbyterian, or Baptist are explanations of methodology and not just for Methodists, but I still have a problem with it. So, in my books, I’ve enjoyed putting my characters in names of churches that would make me feel comfortable.
Sin- Several people have asked why I have such flawed people in my books. My characters fail. They get angry. They don’t swear outwardly, but that’s just because I don’t care to read it myself so I’m not about to make my readers do it. They do sometimes struggle with swearing in their heads though. They aren’t all Christians. They do things that you wouldn’t think Christians would do. Why? Because life is like that. People fail. People lie. The get convicted of that sin and prayerfully, they repent. I don’t want to glorify sin, but I want to acknowledge it and show the consequences. I want to remind people that it can be overcome.
So… Believe. What do you believe that permeates your writing, your interests, your life?
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I’m religious myself and so I believe in avoiding the name of God in all swearing or excited exclamations. I also won’t write sexual scenes or graphic violence.
I also believe in divine consequences for sin and so I hold my characters more accountable for their actions. When they offend someone, I want them to feel sorry and bad instead of living their life like there’s no Heaven or Hell.
Yes… those are definitely elements I keep in my books as well. It is always nice to find other authors with the same standards!
I love your description of “church”. I happen to agree with your assessment. I used to follow the teachings of a pastor who taught along these historical lines, & I enjoyed going to “church” every Sunday to learn more. Because of the un-churchy way he spoke, we called our group Paradox. Sadly, he moved out of state, & Paradox quickly fell apart without his leadership. I haven’t found anyone who quite fills that empty space. You’re the first to speak directly to what has been missing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on what it means to “Believe”. I find I’m now motivated to start looking again for a new church, even if it’s just online if I can’t find something closer to home.
Andi-Roo /// @theworld4realz
http://www.theworld4realz.com/
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I find the “Paradox” kind of funny since that’s what I call my personal blog– Paradoxology.
I hope you find a group that delves into the Bible and just infuses those words into your lives! That’s the best thing out there!
You are so right – believe is an incredibly strong word! I try to carry it through into my own writing and characters, and I really admire authors who are able to convey that strong, passionate sense of belief in their characters, too.
Thank you! I think everyone does it, but it’s always fun to see little nuances that define the author as well as her characters.