Peretti, Frank E. This Present Darkness. Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1986. Print.
This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti is a Christian fiction novel witten in omnicient POV about the battles in a small town of Ashton, between the forces of light and darkness. Aside from just the affairs of the humans, there are also the inner mechanisms of the demons, and the angels. There are multiple characters in each category (demon, angel, human), and some of the characters dabble in one or more categories.
Why I shut this book.
I attempted to see this text the way Dr. Kopp wanted me to, but it didn't happen. My expectations of this book were tremendously beyond what the text actually was. Aside from numerous grammatical errors and constant shifting from character to character, and setting to setting, even being a submissive reader was hard to do. I also lost my writing skills and couldn't write. Something was holding me back.
I wanted to believe I was enjoying the text, but in reality I was under a facade of my own invention. My spirituality and my relationship with God was also at stake.
I wanted to read this book because it was labeled 'Christian Fiction'. I thought I could relate to it, since I'm a Christian. NOOOOPE.
Instead, this book turned me off to the worldly view of Christianity. Like I said in a previous post, 'Christian fiction is just another way people try to rake in non-believers to be gung-ho over God. It's all fake.' The testimony is fake, the situatuions are unrelatable, and over all, it just puts a sour taste in my mouth to people who really want to share the Lord with people. It's all wrong. This book was not giving off the right portrayal of God's love that people need to hear.
Sharing God's Love
When people hear the phrase 'sharing God's love', they think: missionaries. People that go to other countries and minister the Word to people. A friend of mine plans on going to school to be a missionary. I told her that was stupid.
She got all defensive and said to me, "But people need to hear about God!"
I said to her, "What about that kid that sits next to you in class? Do you need to go to a special Christian college in East Jabumble to be able to minister to him? NO."
She shut up.
I said to her, "What about that kid that sits next to you in class? Do you need to go to a special Christian college in East Jabumble to be able to minister to him? NO."
She shut up.
The same goes for Christian fiction novels.
It doesn't have to have a bijillion characters and a super secret plot and huge, giant, epic battles to be known as something worth reading. It needs to have a hook, a plot and a conclusion. Nothing showy.
And with a topic like religion, it's already such a huge contraversy. It's already a problem for some people, and a solution for other people. If you're going to write a book about religion or Christianity, make sure it doesn't suck before you publish it. It just makes everyone who's standing up for God look bad.
Sharing God's love really isn't as hard as everyone thinks it is. For me at least, it comes naturally to me. Yes, I'm sensitive to what people say and how they react, but at the end of the day I know I did it for God, and my actions are justified. This semester I briefly shared the Lord's love with another classmate. I'm not sure of how my actions have altered anything, if anything at all, but I know it was what God wanted me to do.
Taking a Leap of Faith
Before taking this class and attempting to read this book, I was a closet-Christian. I wanted people to know I loved the Lord, but I didn't want to be put on the spot for it. When I first told my group that I was reading a Christian fiction book, they looked at me funny, and said, 'Ok good luck with that.' Honestly, I feel like the book was aimed towards non-believers. Because as a Christian, the book didn't appeal to me one bit. I didn't like the graphic, dark details of the demons, and I didn't like the overall mood of the story. It was too dark for me, and gave me nightmares...and I'm a grown-ass woman.
After a classmate's revelation post about school, my writing skills returned. I shut the book and I started a new book. I could write again. WOW. And not only that, I confronted my issue with holding back my spirituality, and I gained even more skills in my writing. I shared more on religion with a classmate, and although I felt I was doing him a favor, I may have given him more confusion than ever.
But that's the leap of faith that I had to take. I believed the Lord would take care of him.
This past Sunday School class, we talked about letting our little lights shine.
(This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.)
I asked the children if they let their lights shine at school.
They all said yes.
I asked them how they let their lights shine.
No one could give me an answer.
I told the children that everyone who loves God has this problem.
The kids looked at me, bewildered.
This past Sunday School class, we talked about letting our little lights shine.
(This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.)
I asked the children if they let their lights shine at school.
They all said yes.
I asked them how they let their lights shine.
No one could give me an answer.
I told the children that everyone who loves God has this problem.
The kids looked at me, bewildered.
I told them that no matter how old you are, you have a little light.
That light is the Lord's love for you.
And when you let it shine, you let others know you love Jesus, and you help others see that love too.
But that bushel over your light is heavy.
Sometimes our light is hidden under our clothes and we don't want people to see it, because it's very precious to us. We don't want other people to come and blow it out.
That light is the Lord's love for you.
And when you let it shine, you let others know you love Jesus, and you help others see that love too.
But that bushel over your light is heavy.
Sometimes our light is hidden under our clothes and we don't want people to see it, because it's very precious to us. We don't want other people to come and blow it out.
We're afraid.
Just like the lecture Dr. Kopp gave us the one day, 'How much does looking good rule your life?' 'What are you so afraid of?!'
I was afraid to let my light shine.
How I've Changed.
I'm not afraid to let my light shine anymore. My light shines bright for all to see and I'm unashamed and unafraid. I told my children in class on Sunday,
"If we, as Christians, don't share the word of God with others, who will?"
"Don't you want everyone to feel the warm love of Christ?"
I encouraged them to ask God for help, and for God to give them opportunities to share His love with others. This semester has been a great awakening for me both spiritually, and writerly. I can write better and free my mind as to all that is in my brain. I know that sometimes people will trample my beliefs. I know sometimes people will bash my God and say that I'm wrong. I know all these things. But for the joy that is set before me, I will do it anyway.
I may revisit this book, but not so I can evaluate it...Just simply read it for what it is, just so I find out what happens in the story. A two hour flight to Indiana over break might be the perfect time :)
And in the spirit of the holidays coming up, Merry Christmas. Let us give thanks for our families and friends, and thank our Lord Jesus for giving His son to us, so that we may have eternal life through Him.