Greetings Readers!
As you know, last week I launched my new Substack page, Faith & Fiction with Tiffany Link. While the inaugural post highlighted the intended content of the newsletter, today I thought I’d share a bit about why the discussion of faith and fiction even matters.
In essence, what is the benefit of this venture?
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this relaunch and pondering the time investment, especially with the new weekly rhythm. While it’s true authors must invest in platform building (the shaping of a readership), that’s not my sole aim here. If it were, I may as well throw in the towel now. Writing should first and foremost be about blessing and serving others.
In light of that, I prayed and brainstormed about a project that I would be passionate enough to sustain and would simultaneously be of value to others. I wanted something that would meet those criteria not just for readers, but for other writers, too. Faith & Fiction was borne out of that prayer.
I spend a lot of time in reading, and while I enjoy nonfiction here and there, I have always been most drawn to story. I believe in the power of stories (whether they be true narratives or fictional) to shape and grow us as humans. What’s more, I think God uniquely crafted us to be formed by them. After all, his primary means of communication comes through the words of the Bible. And while there are genres in God’s word that aren’t story-centered, such as the Epistles, the book as a whole is a meta-narrative; it’s the greatest story about the greatest hero: Jesus.
If you are one who considers the biblical narrative to be a true account of God’s history with mankind, you may be thinking…okay, but the stories in the Bible aren’t fictional. And I would agree with you. However, there are plenty of biblical examples where God used fiction to convey his message and his truths. We see Jesus teaching in parables, of course. But I think an excellent case in point for this post’s intention is the story of King David and the prophet Nathan.
We all know about David’s moral failing with Bathsheba and the arranged death by his hand of her husband Uriah. We also know from Psalm 32 that he kept silent about the sin, refusing to acknowledge it before the Lord. I think most of us can relate. We humans are prone to hiding after all. Since the Garden, it’s been mankind’s default when it comes to sin.
So how did God reach David? He sent in Nathan the prophet. But instead of simply stating the facts and telling David to repent, Nathan told him a story (2 Sam 12:1-4). The prophet shared about two men in a city, a rich man and a poor one. The rich man had many flocks and herds, but the poor man had only one little lamb that would “eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him” (2 Sam 12:3). One day, a wayfarer came along and in true Middle Eastern hospitality, the rich man served him a meal. But instead of taking from his own flock to do so, he took the poor man’s one and only lamb.
When David heard the story, his anger burned against the rich man, stating, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die” (2 Sam 12:5). To which Nathan replies, “You are the man!” (2 Sam 12:7).
By using story, Nathan bypassed David’s intellectual defenses and reached his conscience. His heart. As the writing adage goes…show don’t tell. That’s exactly what Nathan did. And we know from Psalm 51, David finally repented.
I believe that is the greatest power of story. It uniquely touches the heart. And it’s just as powerful in fictional form as it is in true accounts.
I’m not suggesting that intellect is not engaged or affected by story, of course. Stories give us much to chew on. But I do suggest that story may be a greater impetus for change because it reaches our heart level first. Stories help us connect human to human because we see through the lens of a character and “live” their experience. They touch us and invoke empathy. In short, connecting as humans through stories makes us more humane. And that matters as people of faith.
God has called us to go into the world and make disciples. But often, we get so stuck in our Christian bubbles and our Christian doctrine, that we aren’t equipped to meet the world where it’s at. In contrast, Jesus met people where they were at beautifully. The woman at the well. The woman caught in adultery. Zacchaeus. He saw their sin and brokenness, but he also saw past it.
He knew their stories.
Through Faith & Fiction, I hope to share books that have drawn out my humanity, deepened my empathy for others, and/or taught me something about God and faith. I do believe that reading widely helps in this endeavor. If you’re interested in more thoughts in that regard, I wrote a post titled On Reading Promiscuously. However, I know everyone lands differently in regard to conscience. If I share something I feel might cause offense for one reason or another, I will always add a caveat to my recommendation.
That being said, I will also be interviewing other authors and readers (gleaning from their storied experience) and I will not require that of them. In those cases, I trust people will use their own prudence and discretion to make their reading choices.
Lastly, I believe deeply in the value of creativity and artistry in and of itself. I foresee myself giving recommendations simply because I find a story brilliantly written or I admire a writer’s prose. For me, enjoying man’s creative expression when it’s done with excellence is faith inducing. It draws my eyes to the Creator, the one who gifts us with the ability to co-create with him. I wrote another post titled For Glory and for Beauty if you’re interested in more thoughts on that.
I hope that gives you a glimpse into my heart behind this newsletter, and I look forward to delving into stories with you!
Blessings in books,
Tiffany
This will be so fun to hear your thoughts and read along with you!!!!