Why do people enjoy fantasy stories? I’ve been pondering this as of late, noticing the modern world’s fascination with fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia, and so on—anything make-believe. (Certainly, the genres of contemporary and historical fiction haven’t died, but fantasy seems like the preference of many, specifically the younger generation.) Ultimately, how in line with Christian beliefs is this preference for strange worlds unlike our own? While Christ’s parables are often cited in support of stories’ power to portray truth, I’ve found fewer poignant arguments in favor of fantasy stories’ ability to be vehicles of the Gospel.1 Perhaps this is because there is an unconscious assumption that the marks of a Christian story are 1) explicit mention of God and matters of faith or 2) an implied Christian worldview of human affairs with no explicit mention of faith. Either of those can be used in a story with or without dragons...
Should Christian Stories Include “Magic Systems?” Pt. 1: Introduction and Definition
A quick skim of popular YA and adult fantasy novels, whether by secular or Christian authors, reveals a host of stories with magically powered characters. I think of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson in the secular field. Most YA fantasy stories by Christian authors include magic as well: Mary Weber’s Storm Siren trilogy, Kara Swanson’s Dust and Shadow, and Nadine Brandes’ Fawkes and Romanov, to name a few. As a casual observer of genre trends, especially in the case of YA books, I think it’s safe to say that magic-filled fantasy stories have definitely replaced dystopias. Even before this trend began, I noticed many Christian writers plagued by how to handle magical powers in their stories. While some shun magic altogether, others restrict magic to witchcraft and sorcery, avoid those, and opt for writing “magic systems” that may more properly...
God Wants Us to be Happy — Missio Dei Article
A common complaint against the Catholic Church is that it has too many rules. Some say that it seeks to restrict human freedom by presenting a list of dos and don’ts that ultimately “ruin our fun” and destroy happiness. Such a claim stems from a misunderstanding of freedom, happiness, and their relation to God’s laws. Freedom is the ability to choose one thing or another. This definition hearkens to the concept of free will, which is defined by the Church as “the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.” Yet, freedom and free will are not the same; to be free is not to merely exercise one’s will in whatever way one pleases. If that were the case, then any sort of law, whether associated with… Continue reading on...
A Resurrection Worldview – Missio Dei Article
Before Easter, the first-grade catechist I assisted asked our class if they knew what the Resurrection meant. One boy answered that it meant Jesus rose from the dead—and he had heard the story so many times by now that he was beginning to be bored of it. The answer brought a laugh and a deeper explanation from the catechist, but in reality, any of us can feel as that little boy did. We celebrated Christ’s Resurrection for forty days. It is good to question how that changed us, if at all… Continue reading on Missio Dei....
Spring & The Tender Heart of God
I saw spring for the first time this year. I don’t mean that I somehow wasn’t on earth March-June every year of my life until now. I mean that I never saw a real spring before. If you grew up in a normal place that experienced four seasons a year, you may ask if fake springs are a thing. They are. Perhaps ‘abnormal’ is a better word. I lived most of my life in a town 8,000 feet above sea-level. Not much grows up yonder besides pine trees and sagebrush, but it sure does snow. Springtime was when you got to say hello to the dirt and sagebrush again. You might get a few aspens budding, some flowers, but it wasn’t explosive in the least. Until last year, the only other place I’ve lived was a desert. No, all those palm trees are not native to Southern California. Nor...
Pondering the Paschal Mystery in its Entirety – Missio Dei Article
The transition from the penitential season of Lent to the joyful season of Easter is a spiritual and tangible shift. Rejoicing replaces mourning. Our senses too are imbued with the joy of the season. The Gloria and the Alleluia… Continue reading on Missio Dei....
In My Weakness I Am Strong – Missio Dei Article
“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:10) We do not want to be weak. To be weak is to be vulnerable, to be open to rejection, suffering, or defeat. It is natural for us to recoil from weakness, to shield or strengthen our emotional, physical, and spiritual weak points… Continue Reading on Missio Dei....
Aquinas, Charity, and the Cause of Our Joy — Missio Dei Article
As Christians we long for joy in a special way. We know that one of the distinguishing features of the saints was their contagious joy, present even amid suffering. Yet, while we are members of the same Church as those joyful saints, joy often escapes us. This may result from a misunderstanding of the nature of joy and how it grows in our lives as Christians. Scripture itself contains… continue reading on Missio Dei. ...
Being Present to the Unnoticed God
I thought God would be more pushy. I was blessed to make it through the entire Bible this year (with many missed days and many catch-up days), and the contrast in God way of relating to his people struck me. We go from fire and thunder in Exodus to the whisper of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the first Christians. Perhaps it was more than a whisper — in Acts there are healings and miracles, rooms shaken with the wind of the Holy Spirit, people clearly moved by the will of God. Before that was the dynamic preaching and incredible healings of Christ, leading to his death with earthquakes and darkened sun and the greatest miracle of the Resurrection. But before that? Nazareth. I’m fascinated by Nazareth. Thirty years of Jesus’s life are practically unmentioned in Scripture, beyond a few events like the Flight to Egypt and...
Peace Through Humility
In the middle of absolute overwhelm, the invitation to peace is the strongest. I love how what we often call ‘cliche’ lessons in Christianity have the power to strike us anew at times. It’s almost like these truths are objects thrown into water that sink very, very slowly, sometimes without us noticing. They hit deeper parts of ourselves until coming to rest at the bottom of our hearts when we finally understand them to the fullest capacity possible in this life. A couple nights ago I was flipping through my Magnificat and stumbled across Matthew 6:25-34. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life… Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air…are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cube to his span of...