I'm on the EDGE of the world looking down on creation - where is Edgy headed?

[Donald James Parker]

Edgy – you gotta love that word. Brings back memories of a nail-biter basketball game or a suspenseful scene out of a movie or TV show. You sit on the edge of your seat in situations like that. However, in the context I'm about to pontificate on, the word, 'edgy' refers to the leading edge (or sometimes known as the bleeding edge). Conservative people wait for others to experiment before they jump on the bandwagon. A few fearless trailblazers risk life, limb, and reputation to follow the cadence of a drummer that others have not heard to push the boundaries of human accomplishment and creativity. These kind of people have played pivotal roles in the development of human history and will no doubt play a big role in the future. Perhaps, it's time for some edginess in the world of Christian literature. Let's explore that landscape and see what giants inhabit the land.

Before we cruise the yellow brick road and cross over into the Land of Edginess Oz, we need to describe what things are like back in Kansas. Disclaimer: this is my own viewpoint – not necessarily that of God, but it is possible that the two intersect. Christian fiction is stereotyped as inferior in quality, insipid in taste, and unrealistic in nature with unbelievable fairy tale endings, uncharacteristic personality changes, and plastic characters. Is that a true assessment of the state of the union of Christian Literature? Not entirely, but I think there is enough evidence to indict Christian literature for the crime of not being relevant to the culture around us.

OK, you've heard from the Peanut Gallery (for you're old enough to remember Howdy Doody). Let's see what some other people think. I polled Joan Shoup , founder of Sheaf House Publishing and Michelle Sutton, founder of the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers social network, blog etcetera, and author of It's Not About Me, soon to be released by Sheaf House.

Joan says: By definition, edgy fiction tells stories that are out on the edge of what traditional publishers—and many readers—consider to be acceptable. It’s the kind of fiction I created Sheaf House to publish, with characters who are hurting, searching, caught up in situations that don’t have easy answers and maybe don’t have answers at all. I decided to found Sheaf House because so much of the fiction I see in the Christian market is the same old, same old. The stories stay within nice little boundaries that delineate what people—especially Christians—should be and do, and God help you if you don’t fit into that tidy little schematic. The trouble is that real human beings don’t fit into safe little boundaries. And if they think they do, they’re deluding themselves. Life is messy, unpredictable, and often painful. It’s also full of unexpected wonder and joy, hope and love. I want to publish stories that reflect that edginess of life and meet people where they really are, without pretenses, to offer hope, help, and healing in the midst of situations that seem to make no sense and have no answers.

Michelle says: My definition of edgy fiction is daring to say what's true, making people think, not fluffing up the Christian life so everyone seems perfect, having readers feel the characters in their gut, being able to identify with real conflicts, etc. What I've seen in the last few years in CBA books has been greatly encouraging, but most of the edgy stuff still ends up in historical novels. Redeemed prostitutes are great for character redemption themes in a historical romance, but people wouldn't write about that in contemporary fiction. I think it's because it hits too close to home. We've all prostituted ourselves in a spiritual sense and put other things before our relationship with Christ. We all need to repent and be inspired by the Holy Spirit to commit our hearts fully to Jesus Christ. I think a fabulous way to communicate that truth is through fiction. One thing that bothers me when I read a story is when the sinning character always feels guilt. Even Christians are drawn to sin, and if it wasn't appealing, none of us would do it. I want people to see the pull that temptation and sin has on them, and yet still manage to break free of it when they reach for the Savior's hand. Like Peter did when he started so sink as he walked toward Jesus on top of the water, we all need to cry from the depth of our hearts, "Lord, save me." While I don't believe God resaves us every time we sin, I do believe we are being saved on a continual basis and constantly being cleansed from our sin by our active relationship with Christ. Bottom line...we need Him. Every day. And no matter how cleaned up our lives seem. We need to keep our hearts in humble submission so we don't think we stand on our own...lest we fall flat on our faces. If I can pen a realistic story that someone who has led a clean life and someone who has destroyed their life can both relate to, and glean something from, and it makes their lives better, I've accomplished what I set out to do. I want God to use my stories to reach people's hearts, to make them assess their lives, and grow spiritually as a result.
Joan and Michelle are not alone. People like Sue Dent, Frank Creed and others are pushing the envelope of what constitutes "Christian" literature.

There are a couple of salient points that I wish to try to elaborate on. One deals with Pharisees. Those were people who did everything right – by the book – and in doing so completely missed the point. They couldn't figure out why Jesus hung out with the sinners. His answer: a doctor doesn't go to visit the healthy. How else was he going to make them healthy except by mingling with them and letting his spirit do a work in their hearts. There are horror stories of indignant readers taking a book into a bookstore and ranting and raving to the point that not only is their money returned for the book, but the book store removes it from the shelves – because there was a four letter word in it. Personally, I could have made a sailor blush in my heyday, but have rarely used one of the forbidden words since I gave my life to God. I don't like to hear it or see it. But a light has come on my head that in order to reach non-believers, we have to paint an accurate and relevant picture of life or we'll never touch them with our fiction. Real people in the real world cuss. I've decided it's OK for people to be real in books and movies that are Christian based with a couple of stipulations. Those words can be spoken by either by bad guys and unbelievers as a contrast to the life lived by those who are dedicated to their Lord. Or they could be spoken by a Christian who has a problem and needs to deal with it. Bottom line is that they should only include vulgarity and not taking the name of the Lord in vain. .

Are we letting the Pharisees control the Christian market? We can churn out novel after novel that either preaches to the choir or else is simply a piece of fluffy, escape literature that is not worthy of the name 'Christian' literature. Is that what God wants of us? I don't think so. I'm fully convinced that the end of times is nigh. Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. My new company, Sword of the Spirit Publishing, is joining Joan and Sheaf House in the quest to produce literature that will change people's lives – not just entertain them for a few hours. Scott Wesley Brown sang a song with the lyrics "You gotta get out on a limb – if you want to taste the fruit." I'm stretching out for that fruit right now. Hopefully I won't fall out of the tree in the attempt, but if I do, I'll break a cardinal sin of writing and quote a cliché – it is better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all. We may be on the edge of some great things.

We might have to learn how to cope in that new world. I just sent an e-book copy of my new book Reforming the Potter's Clay, which is an anti-occult novel, to a young lady I met on Facebook. Turns out that she is a witch. The rubber has already started meeting the road, and I'm afraid I'll need a new set of tires for this task. I covet your prayers for this delightful Australian and for myself as I learn to deal with people that I've never encountered before in my sheltered life.

[Donald James Parker]

I guess I posted this a little prematurely. I could have included Kelly Mortimer's new publishing venture as a promoter of "edgy" Christian fiction as well. Looks like our small group right here has an opportunity to touch our world!!

[Dean Thompson]

Hi Don,

Interesting post…
I sincerely hope market economics and interest support your calling.

Dean – “Burden of Faith”

[John Robinson]

This all very, very good stuff...and a breath of fresh air to those of us who've despaired of ever having Christians "get" what we're trying to do. Bravo!

[Jay Miller]

Speaking of nail biter basketball games. Tonight all the Lakers fans will be biting their nails after the way they blew the last game.

[JC Lamont]

I wouldn't call the CBA pharasaical....though that is how they and many (if not most) Christians come across. Somehow or another, we are under this belief that in order to be a light to the world, we must be perfect. And anything less than perfect must be hidden at all costs, lest we damage the world's view of God. We hide behind masks and say everything is fine or I'm too blessed to be stressed when inside we are hurting and have no human to turn to becuase "Christians shouldn't have that problem" or any problem for that matter. So we create this ideal to show the world, and sometimes even buy into it ourselves. The CBA has guidelines, which it should, but it has bought into that perfect image of Christiantiy, and thus only publishes what I call happy-sappy Christian fiction (say it three time fast).

I heard on the Christian radio the other day that the motive behind these masks is that Christians feel they need to protect God. When put that way, it really highlights the ridiculousness of it. If God needed our protection, He would be a rather weak diety.

We live in a world where knowledge abounds, and people do not accept the standard Sunday School answer. One of the reasons atheism and disbelief in traditional Judeo-Chrsitaintiy as well as the lure of other religions is due to present-day Christianity. We are not fully to blame, but we certainly have done our share of damage.

We are living in the last days, as someone pointed out above. And we are definately in the falling away of faith as the Bible predicted. "Edgy" Christian fiction could certainly be a tool to undoing some of that damage, as long as "edgy" does not cross the line of being "in" the world versus "of" the world.

[Donald James Parker]

Wow - insightful post!!!! My thoughts were something like - edgy for edgy sake is not desirable. It has to serve a purpose or it's just irreverence.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts JC.
Don

[Michael Scott]

JC that is precisely it! Christians feel they need to protect God.

Of course, what they're really protecting isn't God. In all likelihood, God moved on a long time ago. What they're protecting is their image of God, and the belief that once you buy into Jesus, everything in life will turn out hunky-dorey and you'll never have to suffer anymore - and, of course, that once you become a Christian, you don't sin much anymore either.

I suspect there are two main reasons for this. One, we are selling Christianity like greasy used car salesmen (and no disrespect to the non-greasy ones!). We're pulling a "bait-and-switch" with our marketing efforts. "Follow Jesus!" we cry, "He's got a wonderful plan for your life!"

What if God's wonderful plan for your life involves the via dolorosa? What if it involves denying yourself, taking up your cross and losing everything dear to you? That's the call of Jesus. But we're busy telling people about God's special diet plan (witness What Would Jesus Eat? or Weigh Down Workshop or any of the other "Christian diet plans"), or how God can help your finances, so you too can be rich, beautiful, healthy and successful!

It's not so much that we've watered down the gospel, it's that we've been unrealistic about what we're called to do (Acts 9:16).

The second reason is that we've forgotten that the Christian life is not an ethical system of behavior by which we try harder to be pleasing to God. Ravi Zacharias recently observed:
The way the Christian’s life is lived will determine the impact upon believers and skeptics alike. This is a defining line because the claim by the believer is unique. The claim is that of a “new birth.” After all, no Buddhist or Hindu or Muslim claims his or her life of devotion to be supernatural, yet they often live a more consistent life. And how often does the so-called Christian, even while teaching some of the loftiest truths one could ever teach, live a life bereft of that beauty and character." (Excerpted from Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend (Thomas Nelson, 2007) ed. by Ravi Zacharias.).

We have forgotten how to live the Christian life. We live it not by our own human efforts at being good (see Paul in Galatians 3:3 "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"), but by dependence upon the Holy Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:16 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Having forgotten how to live the Christian life, and having nothing better to offer people than a religious system which doesn't work and empty promises of an easier life which God never made, it is no wonder Christians are trying to "protect God." The worldview being espouses is simply untenable. That emperor has no clothes! And, it seems, everyone but the Christian knows it. This is why the Church is losing ground daily in Western Civilization. We have a form of religion, but have denied its power.