Sunday Salon for 1.11.09

I know this is late, but for some reason my computer wouldn't allow me to access the "new post" portion of blogger yesterday. It is not that I have some great information to share with y'all -- that I didn't think you could live without. It is more that I had an insight in my reading yesterday that I want to verbalize for my own benefit.

My book club at school (student led, I am just the facilitator) decided to read Ted Dekker's book, Black, over Christmas break. Since I try to run the class as a democratic society, I agreed to read the book as well, even though it is not one that I would normally select. First of all, I am not a huge fan of Christian fiction. I hate saying that - the fact that I verbalized such a statement makes me feel like a heretic. It is not that I don't see value in Christian literature, but I usually find the character development somewhat lacking and the themes to be rather one-dimentional. I am sure there are some GREAT Christian authors out there, so I hope I have not offended anyone. I guess I just feel so far behind in reading the classics that I tend to put this particular style of book on the back burner.

Secondly, I am not a lover of science fiction. I am a realist, and my "black and white" brain simply does not understand the concept of alternate worlds. (For example, Ender's Game is rated so highly, yet I have tried to read the book twice and simply cannot get past the first 50 pages or so). Black deals with what I would call the "real" world of Denver, Colorado, and Bangkok; the "dream" world deals with black woods filled with evil black bats and the colorful forests where humans live with two "guardian" white bats: Michel and Gabril. BATS?! Anyway, I did force myself to finish the book and discovered that while it is definitely not a favorite, I was able to glean some favorable moments. The most siginificant moment for me - as a reader and a believer - came in chapter 22 when the young boy says to the Protagonist, Thomas (doubting Thomas): "Elyon (God) could open his mouth, and a hundred billion worlds like this would roll off his tongue. Maybe you underestimate him" WOW --- that still causes me to stop and take notice.

If I believe that God could speak Earth into existence, what prevents me from thinking that He cannot speak other worlds into existence. Have I truly put God in such a box that I do not allow Him such power? Sobering thought.

So, I am still not sure that I will ever consider science fiction as a favorite genre --- but I am definitely going to be more receptive to accept the creativity of these writers.