Our Christmas "Once Upon a Time . . ."

I’ve gotta admit I’m torn. It’s Christmas weekend, but I’d promised to continue the Apostolic writing conversation a few weeks back. Maybe I can interlace the strands.

In the December 2007 issue of the Atlantic, there’s a feature on The Golden Compass, where author and atheist Phillip Pullman is quoted: “‘Thou shalt not’ might reach the head, but it takes ‘Once upon a time’ to reach the heart.” I think he’s correct. (It’s why most Christians can’t delineate doctrine, but will happily tell detailed Bible stories.)

The quote reiterates that storytelling is an especially valuable (if overlooked) talent in the kingdom, yet most (all?) Western religions have been remiss in taking up its standard (and most of the other arts) in the past 100+ years.

The best gift we can offer Christ on his birthday celebration is the creativity he gave us and the willingness to work hard alone to develop it so that others will be touched, even changed by our efforts to please Him. (That gift makes most others look cheap.)

Apostolic Talents, Ordinary Writing
We’ve been circling the cagey, elusive beast called Apostolic Writing almost since the beginning of this blog (July 2007). Lee Ann’s recent post triggered the most comments by comparing us to a story about Mormon missionaries she’d read, and musing on Apostolic writing in that regard. Marjorie followed up with some astute comparisons to the two testaments, which also created a response. Naturally, there have been some misunderstandings.

I don’t think anyone is insisting Apostolics should write only to Christians or publish only with a Christian publisher. It’s a wide-open world and mainstream publishing is happy to print quality Christian fiction.

Our “Apostolic writing” thoughts have fallen under four headings:

1. Apostolic Worldview
Presumably this would be anything written by an Apostolic, though let’s be honest – many of us are better Americans than we are Apostolics. Not to sound cynical, but if nothing differentiates your writing from anyone else’s, then it’s just writing, not Apostolic writing, it’s “clean,” it’s not biblical.

Any worldview is most obvious when choices are dramatized with characters choosing differently. An Apostolic worldview should insist on showing the reality of biblical choices in tough situations with realistic results (i.e. honesty is rarely the best policy if you’re seeking instant rewards).

2. Apostolic Setting
Completely untapped today, but there are a long list of settings worth exploring or using as background color for any type of story – horror, crime, comedy, or family drama.

3. Apostolic Characters
Whenever Graham Greene wrote literature or “entertainments” (as he termed it), he nearly always included a Catholic character in the mix. So whether it was crime novels, spy satires, adventures, or literature probing the deeper points of unbelief, there’s always the realization that believers exist in society today. (Yes, it’s obvious to us, but think about how many books/ movies/ stories we absorb today without a single acknowledgement to that fact.)

4. Apostolic Literature
Whenever I use this term, I’m referring to the possibility of creating a group of titles (hopefully worthy of the canon) that are distinctly Apostolic while universally human. Something readers will pick up because its unique worldview (seen nowhere else in literature) reveals fascinating characters (seen nowhere else in literature) interacting in surprising settings (seen nowhere else in literature) that say so much more about everyone’s humanity. No, you don’t have to include them all for something to be authentically Apostolic, but you could.

Happy Birthday Jesus!
Writing is difficult, but satisfying. It’s summoning the courage to step out and say (via publishing), “Look! This is my soul! Interact with it and you’re likely to be unhappy and think less of me! But I’m using my talents for the king of kings and lord of lords! Wheeee!”

He couldn’t possibly ask for more than, "Once upon a time, there was a writer who wanted to give a King a gift . . ."