Holy Shift! Why Faith in Fiction Is Becoming More Relevant Than Ever

When I was 8 years old, I read the Narnia series and Treasure Island. Two vastly different worlds captured my vivid imagination. For hours, I flipped through the pages lost in adventure and refused to put the books down until I reached the end. Perhaps this was the genesis of my passion and curiosity as a storyteller.

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I wondered what happened after the final page. Where did the story and characters go next? This question continues to run through my mind as I’m writing the Beacon Hill series. But at 8 years old, there was already an awakening within my storytelling soul to discover worlds beyond my own.

As an expat, I was born and raised in Hong Kong where my parents were missionaries and my family was immersed in the church. I’ve never questioned my belief in God, but I have had to discover my own path in pursuing a deeper relationship with God. My faith journey is rooted in the epic stories of the Bible, the life of Jesus, and beyond in stories that embrace the values that resonate with me whether found in a film, streaming series, or within the pages of countless books. What I’ve learned along the way is that it’s easy to proclaim my faith standing on a mountaintop of triumph, but it’s in the valleys of tragedy where faith is tested. On more than one occasion, a novel I’ve read or a film I’ve watched during those seasons of life has helped me get through those times.

Isn’t this what makes for a great story, when tragedy and triumph collide?

In writing the Beacon Hill series, I’ve been inspired and challenged by both—which are the realities of this world. My faith challenges me to go beyond a pew on Sunday morning, to write stories that not only entertain but encourage readers to go deeper. We’ve seen this in epic adventures such as Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and recent blockbuster successes such as I Can Only Imagine and Jesus Revolution. In today’s culture, faith-based stories are becoming more relevant to the world around us while infusing themes rooted in belief.

When I think of the life of Jesus what captures my attention is the way his message was delivered through parables of love, hope, redemption, and sacrifice—some of the parables were highly controversial in those times. He engaged people where they were, which was oftentimes outside of the synagogues while facing opposition from the Pharisees. One might say Jesus is the greatest storyteller of all as he challenged the world with a holy shift toward a relationship with Christ instead of a religion.

As a storyteller, I can draw inspiration from novels such as Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or Treasure Island—and even more from the Bible and the parables of Christ—to fuel my creativity. In my latest YA novel, Hunt For Eden’s Star, the word “ace” is used to mean “awesome or brilliant” as Jack Reynolds and his teen friends embark on an epic fantastical adventure. For me, this word represents three cornerstones and a formula for why faith in fiction is becoming more relevant than ever.

Authenticity + Conviction + Entertainment = Relevant

Authenticity

When a story is written with authenticity as the guiding light it becomes more believable than wrapping up a plot with a nice tidy bow. For a long time, faith-based stories were viewed as the nice tidy present opened on Christmas morning. However, in recent years that trend of storytelling is shifting.

I would suggest faith-based storytellers are returning to the parables of Jesus instead of chasing after a Christian version of the most recent entertainment blockbuster. We are seeing more stories that not only inspire readers and viewers but leave them challenged to walk out their own faith amidst real world circumstances.

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Characters

Those characters who are grounded in their convictions are the most interesting to follow when the world around them shifts, explodes, implodes, or evolves in ways they never anticipated. Believable characters are ones we can relate to through challenges of life whether it be health, finances, future uncertainty, self-doubt, addiction, anxiety, loss, fear, or even depression.

Of course, in fiction these are magnified sometimes in gritty fashion to raise the stakes for the characters we grow to love. How a character reacts when faced with one of these kinds of obstacles defines who they become by the end of the story—stronger, wiser, or even more brave. In the faith-based storytelling universe, these characters are reflecting the real world more and more instead of projecting a perfect life of someone who encounters a mild speed bump along the way.

Entertainment

One of the major shifts I’ve seen which has enabled faith to become more relevant through storytelling is a greater emphasis on entertainment than ever before. I’ve read faith-based novels or watched a Christian film on demand that was a strong story with believable characters but was left bogged down in a heavy-handed message. After the first 30 pages or 30 minutes you check out, click on another movie, or switch the channel because it’s just not entertaining.

To reach today’s culture where they are, storytellers who write stories of faith must have a strong sense for entertainment—if not, they’re preaching to the choir. And this goes for family entertainment, which oftentimes lacks the conflict needed for a great story and message to emerge.

While faith in fiction evolves, the challenge continues to be pushing the boundaries further with excellence while engaging readers and viewers from all walks of life. In a way it’s returning to the roots of our faith standing in a crowd sharing a parable that changes lives. Now that is being relevant.

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