EVANGELIZING THROUGH STORY

When you think of evangelizing, what comes to mind? If you’re like a lot of people, especially non-Christians, you probably think of preachy, boring speeches. You might stop listening before anything else is even said. This goes for those aggressively opposed to Christianity, whom we have less chance of reaching, though we should not stop trying. But it even goes for those who feel more neutral about Christianity. Maybe they view it in a somewhat positive light, but they’re not terribly interested in learning about it. So, if someone starts talking to them about being saved and giving their lives to Jesus, they shut down. This may seem downright bizarre to those of us who are devout Christians, but it’s a reality.

Jesus’ Great Commission was to “go and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19) This is our job as Christians. Notice Jesus didn’t say, go talk to people and do your best. No, he said “go and make disciples.” Makes me think of Yoda: “Do or do not. There is no try.”

All this begs the question: how do we reach people?

Personally, I’m not a great speaker. I’m not really that good with people in general. I’ve worked at it my whole adult life and have gotten much better with age. I’m able to do my day job very effectively, which involves some phone and in-person interaction, but I do most of my communication by email. I’m my best in writing.

God gave us strengths for a reason, and we should use those strengths to do God’s will.

I’ve been writing for about 15 years. I started in mainstream fiction and moved into Christian fiction when Mike Nappa, my former agent, approached me about finishing a book he was under contract to complete (a third in a series). His wife had passed, and he just couldn’t get himself to finish the book. He tried to cancel the contract, but his editor, with his best interests at heart, pushed him to finish. It’s amazing how God can take a tragedy like the loss of Mike’s beloved wife and make something good come of it. Before this, I’d had no interest in writing Christian fiction. I had the same misconceptions as many have about evangelism—it’ll be too preachy. And then I read the first two books in Mike’s series. They weren’t preachy at all. They were interesting and gritty and edgy. And I went on to read historical Christian fiction, like Roseanna M. White and Elizabeth Camden. I finished the book for Mike (A Dream Within A Dream) and went on to get a contract with that publisher for my own books (Never Miss and Dangerous Beauty). At first, I thought I’d keep writing mainstream as well, but somewhere along the way, I became committed to Christian fiction. Christian fiction helped strengthen my faith, stronger than it had ever been.

If it could do that for me, I wonder if my stories could help reach others. This is my way of spreading God’s word. I do it not just because I’m not a good speaker, but because I truly think fiction can change a person’s heart.

It’s the same timeless message of the Gospels but a different method. Well…not that different. Jesus’ main mode of teaching was through story (parables). I believe in doing my best to emulate those better than me, and you can’t get much better than Jesus.

The cool thing about Jesus’ parables is the accessibility of them. They are simple stories that are easy for us regular people to read, and yet they hold ageless and unending wisdom. Christian fiction can tap into that. We can bring Jesus’ message into our stories and hopefully reach some hearts.

Some people may think, “Ugh, that sounds so tiresome.” It’s not if you do it right. It’s about knowing when to be subtle and when not to be. If you start the book with the main purpose of telling people about faith, it’s probably going to be preachy and perhaps even tiresome. But if you allow your characters’ faith naturally to weave into the story, it’ll feel genuine and touching.

A very subtle example from the beginning of Dangerous Beauty is when the main character Liliana is running and hungry and she refuses to steal food.

She looked over at the truck stop—warmth, a restroom where she could wash. She dearly wished she had some money. She hadn’t eaten in two days. And she couldn’t steal; her parents had raised her to be honorable, even when it was difficult, especially when it was difficult. But maybe she could find some food in a garbage can.

It’s not explicit in her thoughts that she doesn’t steal due to her religious beliefs, but it comes out later that her parents had raised her to be a good Christian, and that’s the core of who she is. And “especially when it’s difficult” echoes the Bible’s teachings. “You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate.” (Matthew 7:13) “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right.” (Matthew 5:10)

A less subtle example from The Lost Library is one character helps another character, as they lay dying, to ask for God’s forgiveness. I won’t ruin the book and quote the scene, but it’s clear the dying character does already believe in Jesus, though he’s done horrible things, and the other character knows the only way he will be saved is if he repents with an honest heart. By this time in the book the reader has been with these characters through heart-wrenching struggles. We feel for them deeply. We cheer for their successes, and we cry when their hearts break. We grow to truly care for them. This is the beauty of fiction. We can touch people more deeply by bringing them into the lives and struggles of our characters.

It's true that fiction may not explicitly state all aspects of the Bible. No one will be saved by reading my books. Of course not. But my goal is to shine a light on the truth.

Never underestimate the power of a nudge.

 

Melissa Koslin is a fourth-degree black belt in and certified instructor of Taekwondo. In her day job as a commercial property manager, she secretly notes personal quirks and funny situations, ready to tweak them into colorful additions for her books. She and Corey, her husband of twenty-five years, and their young daughter live in Yulee, Florida, where they do their best not to melt in the sun. Find more information on her books at MelissaKoslin.com.