Fiction and Parables (Part III)
This week is the third and final week of our “Fiction and Parables” blog article, which is diving deep into some of the principles and themes of Jesus’ parables. This week focuses in on things that Jesus’ parables don’t do, things and themes they avoid, which need to be studied by Christian storytellers for their own stories. Like the list of Do’s, this is by far incomplete, but it should be enough to help guide the Christian storyteller into crafting an excellent, God-glorifying story!
If you missed last week or just forgot, here are the Parable Don’ts:
Parables DO NOT:
Glorify sin.
Contradict what is said elsewhere in Scripture.
Avoid heavy topics.
Mince words (although some are more subtle than others).
Insult, gossip about, or slander other people (although some of the audience was offended, but they were responsible for their own reactions).
Cause others to stumble.
Worry about offending people with the Truth.
Glorify Sin
Despite how much sin and corruption is covered in Jesus’ parables, not one of them glorifies immorality. Sometimes, the majority of the story revolves around a particular sin, but it always ends with a message of caution and, often, an example of good behavior. How can you tell if a story is glorifying sin? The trick is in the story’s attitude towards errant behavior. Is the ultimate goal of the story to depict the sin as something people should pursue and delight in? Or is it to depict the sin in all its consequences and uphold a message of repentance? Sidenote: characters do not have to repent in order for a story to uphold a Godly message. An unrepentant character can depict a “sin is bad” message just as well as a repentant one, both character types of which Jesus’ parables include.
Contradict what is said elsewhere in Scripture
Now, this “Don’t” is a bit trickier for mere mortals to achieve because the Bible is already written. While your story may truly be Holy Spirit-inspired, it is not going to be Scripture. This does not necessarily let Christian storytellers off the hook when it comes to storytelling, however, especially when there are direct references to the Word. This leads to an often-overlooked practice for the Christian storyteller: be exceptionally well-versed in Scripture when writing and choosing what theology is guiding your story. Understand the context of the verses and concepts that are going to go into a story and be diligent in studying the Word so that it comes across as faithfully to the Bible as possible.
Avoid heavy topics
Just as they ranged in audience and focus, Jesus’ parables ranged in weight of topic. One depicted the relatively routine search for a missing coin, while another included a depiction of the eternal separation between Heaven and hell. The type of story that a Christian storyteller chooses to write is entirely up to them; there is just as much value in the morally or ethically weighty piece of fiction as there is in the piece of fiction that is centered around a very pleasant picnic. They each have different audiences and purposes. However, there is a general trend in modern Christian storytelling to avoid heavy topics altogether. This is the major reason that most Christian films nowadays feel flat, empty, and boring. They are milk for an audience craving steak. Intentionally avoiding heavy topics to chase popular trends or to avoid offending a specific demographic is a complete and utter disservice to Christian storytelling culture and the audience at large.
Mince words
While there is merit in the gentle approach for many types of storytelling and specific audiences, sometimes the best approach is a more direct one. A stern word — spoken in love, without hatred towards the person — can do just as much good for some people as a polite reproach does for other people. Some of Jesus’ parables guided the audience to the answer with kindness and mercy, and others called out errant behavior with no room for negotiation. It is okay to boldly proclaim what the Bible has stated and call out sin as it is, so long as the intention is correction and salvation, not to attack a specific person or group of persons.
Insult, gossip, or slander others
Despite how many parables directly and blatantly called out sin without reservation, Jesus never stooped to the level of insulting, gossiping about, or slandering other people. Even as He called out the Pharisees and scribes in the parable of The Tenant Farmers (Matthew 21:33-45), He did so without being petty or immature, stating the facts about their behavior without adding His own thoughts and ideas. Indeed, one of the great things about using fiction to call out sin and errant behavior is the fact that it can be called out in a way that is less likely to be interpreted as slanderous or gossipy. Think of the difference between using a drawing of a fictional person’s mugshot for an anti-crime campaign versus someone’s actual, real mugshot. One is much more likely to be interpreted as a personal attack or slander than the other.
Cause others to stumble
The likelihood that a piece of fiction will cause someone, somewhere, to stumble is high. It is a fallen, broken world and each and every person has different temptations and triggers. To that degree, Christian storytellers are not responsible for their audience’s actions, only what the message they are presenting to the world and their intention behind said message. Like Jesus’ parables, a story’s purpose should never be to intentionally cause people to sin. Most of this is going to depend on the storyteller’s heart posture and knowing the story’s intended audience is. What one audience can handle without stumbling, another cannot whatsoever.
Take, for example, sexual elements in a story. Graphic sex scenes are porn and have no place in Christian fiction because they will cause people to stumble. However, in a story written for married couples, a few good-natured sex jokes and some make-out scenes in the context of a healthy marriage may not go amiss. Now, that same kind of content in a YA book designed for pubescent teens is ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time going to be a terrible idea. The teens are not ready for that kind of content (I don’t care what the internet says) and need much different content to keep them from stumbling and build up their character properly. Their fiction needs to be focused on building a proper and long-lasting romantic relationship, not discussing bedroom habits.
Worry about offending others with the Truth
When Jesus tells the parables, He tells them without hesitation, reservation, or concern for what others might think (which He would’ve been right to be concerned about, given the scribes and the Pharisees’ attitudes). He is unashamed of the good message that His stories convey and doesn’t worry or fret over how they are going to be received. Christian storytellers need that same, unashamed confidence in their craft and in the Truth-containing stories that they are sharing with the world. Stand firm for what God has decreed!
And that wraps up the three-part article on Jesus’ parables! Hopefully this has been of some value to you as a creative, whether or not you write fiction. Jesus’ parables contain so much more wisdom and insight than just what this article series can cover.
