“I wrote a book,” I confessed to my friend, Pam. We had met at Bible Study Fellowship the previous year and spent time together after our group let out, waiting for the high school class to dismiss. It was the last class before summer break and I had decided to gather up my courage and take the plunge. She was the first person outside of my own family that I felt safe confiding in about my hidden life as a writer.
“A book, huh?” She perked up. “Is it Christian?”
I stopped and considered. “Well, kinda,” I said, stretching the truth. It was written by a christian author, but was the content Christian?
The senior high kids started funneling out the door of their class.
“Joe, is my book Christian?” I asked my son. I had forced my family to listen as I read my manuscript aloud a few months earlier on a road trip. We had gone from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a wedding. It was 1600 miles round trip. Nearly 24 total hours of reading from a loose leaf notebook to my captive audience, whether they wanted to hear it or not.
“No,” he told Pam. “it’s not.”
“Oh,” Pam sounded disappointed.
For some reason, I felt ashamed. There’s nothing wrong with writing a secular book! I told myself. There’s no swearing, the violence is mild, and there’s no sex. It’s supposed to be for middle school kids!
But for some reason, Pam’s reaction was really bugging me.
“So, you don’t think it’s a christian book?” I questioned my son on the way home. Joe actually rolled his eyes at me, as if to imply the answer was glaringly obvious.
“Well, it’s still a good book,” I grumbled. “And I’m gonna get it published someday.”
Joe nodded, bored. I wasn’t overly impressed by his confidence in me.
Over the next few days, Pam’s reaction continued to dig into my psyche. Why was it bothering me so much? A lot of the people in my Word Weavers group were writing secular material. Chris had two books published, one christian and one not, and the secular tome had sold way more copies than the Christian one. There are a lot of good books that aren’t Christian.
But Pam’s reaction continued to nag at me.
I can’t make it Christian themed, I reasoned. It’s a fantasy book about elves and fairies. Putting God and Jesus in there would just be too weird.
And then I thought of the chronicles of Narnia. Those were Christian themed and God is never even mentioned. But, oh! Aslan lead me to see facets of Jesus I had never considered before. (“Of course he isn’t a tame lion! But he’s very good,” as Mr. Beaver would say.)
What are you doing to me here, God? I argued. The book is done. Are you saying you want me to start all over and make it different?
Yes, He seemed to be telling my heart.
I grumbled and sighed. I liked my book. I really didn’t want to change it any, but I couldn’t help remembering how He’d got me fired up to be a writer, had led me to a writer’s group and also to Pam who I felt was a confidant.
God seemed to be nudging me. I gave you this talent. He was saying. I led you to Word Weavers and to Pam. Give the book back to Me. If you will, I promise to bless it.
I knew from experience the God blesses those who follow him. With another sigh, I decided I would at least try to make it somewhat Christian.
I pulled out my old Ryrie Study Bible and flipped to the back, looking up names for God. Jehovah. Nah, that’s too well known. Elohim. Same thing. Adonai? Nope, that made me immediately think of the song sung by Amy Grant back in the ’80’s. El Shaddai – That one was definitely tied to the Amy Grant song. El Olam. Nah. That sounded close to Odin the Norse god, or the sound Gollum made in the Hobbit movie.
El Elyon.
I liked that one. It means the Most High. Yeah. So I decided on Elyon.
Now for a name to represent Christ. All the ones listed were too widely know, so I settled on Logos (the Creator)
The Holy Spirit seemed to only ever be referred to by the one name, so I shortened it to Spirit the Companion.
I poured over the different traits and characteristics of each deity, adding in a lot of sweat and prayer. Lord, if I’m doing this, I prayed, You gotta help me do this right. Help it reflect you with honor and accurately reflect who you are.
When I thought I was ready, I went through my manuscript again, purposely looking for potential areas I could change. I saw an opportunity in one section and took it.
Ariel, my main character, is confused by a song I added that some of the others sing. The tune praises the Son of Elyon – someone she’s never hear of before. Another of the characters pulls out a book and begins reading the elven story of creation. It begins as follows:
At the beginning of all things, there was Elyon the Most High who looked into the darkness and saw its potential.
And Elyon reached into his heart and called forth his Son, Logos the Creator, the first of all things, and the Son’s brilliance illuminated all the universe with its power and glory. Then Elyon breathed out Spirit, the giver of life, the smallest of the three. Spirit flew forth from Elyon, eager and expectant to begin his purpose. Together, the Three Great Ones looked into the darkness and beyond the darkness and knew what could be, what would be and what would never be. Elyon nodded.
“Let it begin.” He said. Together, the three set time into motion. And the first day was done.
I sat back and looked at what I’d written. Like Elyon, I nodded. OK, God, I prayed. I think I’m on the right track here, just guide my fingers on the key board, ok?
Let it begin.