- Catherine Black
Rhia G. Adley on Looking to Fiction for Truth
Welcome again to our Live Your Love series, where each week we’ll hear biblical encouragement from Christian creatives who are truly living out their faith.
What better way to find your next favorite author or Instagram influencer than to find them based on their love for Christ and their enthusiasm for uplifting others?
This week we hear from talented bookstagrammer, graphic designer, and aspiring author Rhia G. Adley on the incredible way fiction helps us portray Christian truths.
How does fiction help us portray Christian truths?
Fiction is a bridge between truth and the world.
In Acts chapter 17, Paul speaks to the people of Athens, noting how one of their altars had been set up to an unknown god. The Greeks worshipped many gods, and not wanting to leave any out, they offered sacrifices to any existing deity they may have accidentally excluded. This was their established way of life.
Paul noticed that altar and said, “This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples” (Acts 17:23-24).
Paul used what the Greek knew (their altar) and turned it into a pulpit where he preached the gospel. Similarly, fiction works the same way. As writers we have the opportunity to dive into pop culture and current events and use the elements the world knows so well as a tool to preach the gospel. Many people won’t pick up a Bible, but many will choose a fantasy novel filled with messages of hope and sacrifice. People are hungry for truth, and fiction is often the first resort. This is the paradox that Christian writers have the opportunity to understand and use for the Kingdom. Fiction allows us to speak the language of the people while permeating the work we create with the heart of God.
- Rhia G. Adley, YA author
Find Rhia on Instagram @rhia.g.adley
Using Fiction as a Source of Truth
Wow, Rhia, those were incredibly inspiring words!
She pinpointed the paradox of truth-in-fiction in a way I hadn’t really thought of before. As a Christian, I know truth is found in the Bible. But not everyone out there knows that or accepts that. As Rhia so aptly pointed out, many people actually read fiction as the place to find truth.
We look for ourselves in the main characters of the books we read.
We look for real emotion, real experiences, and real healing in the characters of books we read because we want those things. Fiction connects with us so deeply because of the truths expressed in it. Without truth, fiction would be meaningless.
Christian authors understand this and use it for God’s glory, crafting stories full of themes that resonate with those searching for truth. Stories of true love, redemption, identity, and heroism reach the hearts of even the lost, because as Rhia said, we’re all hungry for truth.
Whether you are a reader or a writer, consider how the fiction you read or produce conveys truth. This is a question all Christians should ask as we choose our entertainment. While it’s important at times to read things that challenge our viewpoints, it’s crucial to supply our minds with entertainment that supports biblical truth.
As a high school teacher and reader of YA fiction, I see the need for God-glorifying entertainment for our young people. I see a great need for fiction that reveals truth. I am so thrilled that these authors contributing to T.R.U.T.H. have taken the time not only to write encouraging words to their readers, but more importantly have taken the time to write stories that resound with eternal truths. What a ministry!
I hope that through these mini-posts from Christian authors you can find authors you trust. Authors you can celebrate because they share your love for God and for His glory. Authors you can truly say you know on a more personal level because you’ve heard from their heart and realized you stand for the same things.
After all, we’re all truth readers. Some of us are also truth writers. Writers who hope to weave the truths of God’s Word into the worlds we create. And whether we are readers or writers, we are all united through Him.
If you haven’t already, check out the Instagram account for a steady stream of biblical encouragement and discover a community of like-minded individuals on a journey to glorify God through the means He provides and the gifts He gives. We’ll be doing a giveaway of some of the books from these incredible authors, as a way to help you try out new authors and find your next favorite, all with the excitement of knowing these authors have a passion for truth.
For more posts like this, see the motivating words from New York Times bestselling author CJ Redwine on finding our worth in God, and Becky Wade’s powerful words on prayer. Next week we’ll hear from Krista McGee, author of YA Christian science fiction.