DONALD JAMES PARKER
When I was young, I was a voracious reader, often escaping into the worlds of Robert Louis Stevenson, Jules Verne, Laura Ingalls Wilder and countless others. Upon my retirement, I’ll be happy to have a dollar in my bank account for every hour I spent exploring a world where writers had the almost magical powers to conjure up love, happiness, and fortune for deserving heroes. Then I grew up and became an English teacher. The good news is that I could still justify an intellectual menu which featured fiction since my role as a teacher required that I encourage my students to read. I craved the knowledge to recommend books that would entertain them as well as give them a sense of community, fair play, justice and love.
But as life often does, my path detoured from the classroom where I molded young minds to one where I was a confused student learning how to give orders to computers. After graduating from business college, I embarked upon my new career, spent most of my time wrestling computers, and fiction faded to a seemingly distant memory. My life took another turn when I discovered Christian fiction and later became a father. For a season. I dove back into books again as I discovered stories about people who placed their trust in Jesus. Again I had a reason to find good literature. I had two young daughters whose minds needed food for thought. I discovered new names such as Grace Livingstone Hill, Bodie Thoene, and Janette Oke who added a new dimension to the stories of adventure and love to which I had become accustomed. More hours were consumed exploring this brave new world, before the real world crashed the party and sent me back to working most of my waking hours.
The journey with God is full of twists and turns though, and in 2006, from a dream and a prayer afterward for confirmation, I got the message that I was to write a book about evolution. Since I was not a scientist, it was evident that I could only write a novel on this topic. And so I was thrown back into the world of fiction in a brand new role and with a totally new perspective dealing with story telling. The real opening of my eyes splashed upon me when I timidly put my oar into the water of marketing. After years of putting authors on a pedestal, I was suddenly technically in the ranks of those who spun their tales for adoring audiences.
One obvious problem that hit me like a two by four is that my goal was not to win the adoration of any fans and not even to reap a tidy little profit by selling scads of books. I wrote because God gave me a message for the world. I couldn’t churn out some clever little romance or mystery that entertained the masses. My flesh craved to compose something that could bring me honor among readers, and hopefully among my fellow writers. Fortunately I have been able to fight back the temptation and stay true to my course.
Another issue came to my attention, something that probably no reader wants to hear (much less an author). I truly believe that fiction is a viable method to get God’s word across to people, after all Jesus used parables to teach us how we should act. However, the immersion of people into the world of fiction struck me as irresponsible Christian behavior–a form of idolatry if you want me to be blunt. Please don’t get the impression that I think that reading a novel from time to time is sinful, but spending all of one’s free time escaping from reality and reasonability, and getting emotionally bent out of shape over characters that live only in the imagination is out of line. That is not healthy behavior for secular readers, but for those who have died to self for the sake of their Savior, such addiction prevents one from serving their Lord. Thus my mantra that I share with any who have ears to hear is that they should stick to ingesting literary materials that will bring them closer to the Lord. There are so many relevant topics that cry out for an audacious Christian author to shine a spotlight on. Where are those courageous individuals that will write adventures of fighting against binge drinking, pornography, homosexuality, sex trafficking, drug addiction, abortion, or literal demons, to name a few?
What is the purpose of the life of a man or a woman? Are we created that we might find happiness? Should our driving goals be to find the ultimate pleasure in idle pastimes? I don’t think so. My recommendation is that you seek out fiction that entertains you at the same time that it edifies your spirit. Perhaps you might try praying over the paperback you’re about to consume, just like you do (hopefully) for the meals you enjoy.
See additional archived interviews! Click Here
