Comparing Christians’ and Non-Chrstians’ Responses to Events: Faith-filled Fanfic, Pt. 3
Last post, we looked at three ways to combat portraying Christianity in a trivializing way. This time, I’d like to look at Christians’ and non-Christians’ responses to the same events. To do that, I’ll be using examples from my own work, since I have numerous instances of this, and I don’t need outside permission to present them.
By nature, a Christian’s response to any given event will be different from a non-Christian’s. That’s just how the world works. Christians and non-Christians have different value sets and beliefs, so it’s only natural they would treat life events in different ways.
Portraying that difference is a great way to show readers you’ve actually taken time to consider how people from varying religious backgrounds believe, think, and respond. This is a way to show respect, not just to readers, but to your story.
For example, in my most recent longfic, I have a scene which includes a Christian character and a character who practices Shintoism. During this scene, a person both characters thought was dead is brought back to life.
The Christian character is surprised but accepts the event as a miracle from God. The character who practices Shintoism does not believe in one all-powerful God, so does not attribute this event to Him and views it as either an unexplained scientific phenomenon or a medical oversight.
And, to be fair, all three interpretations of this event could be correct to some extent. Only God truly knows which one(s) is/are the case.
One of my previous longfics includes two characters whose siblings die in war. One character is a Christian, and the other is not.
The Christian character learns of their sibling’s passing and experiences understandable grief, but during that mourning period, they also experience God’s peace and comfort.
The non-Christian character doesn’t have that relationship with God to see them through the grief process. They experience intense anger and bitterness toward the person they blame for their sibling’s death.
This isn’t to say Christians never experience anger or bitterness alongside grief. Nor is it a blanket statement than non-Christians never come to a place of peace regarding the passing of family members. But it does give an honest portrayal of a specific Christian’s and non-Christian’s response to the death of a sibling.
When portraying Christian and non-Christian responses to similar (or the same) event, it’s important to remember a few key things:
People are different. Their responses to events vary, sometimes widely. What one person might consider good, another considers bad. What one person accepts as fact, another believes to be ridiculous. Don’t be afraid to portray people with vastly different views of the same event/thing/person.
People-bashing is never helpful. Absolute truth does exist, and we ought to live by it. But that doesn’t mean screaming in people’s faces that they’re wrong is helpful. Yes, some people need a firmer hand than others, and boldly stating the truth is both right and necessary. But there’s a difference between preaching truth and smacking people over the head with a hammer. The same is true in fiction. When portraying characters with widely differing beliefs, there isn’t a need to vilify characters strictly because of their belief set.
People are flawed. Not everything any particular Christian believes or does is right. Just like not everything any particular non-Christian believes or does is wrong. In my current longfic, there is a situation where a Christian makes a huge, far-reaching mistake, and a non-Christian is the one who has to strongly reprimand them and begin the process of fixing the mess the Christian made.
Honesty will take you a lot farther than idealism or fatalism. I could sit here and tell you the Christian life is always easy, and there are never difficult moments or downright catastrophic turns of events. But that’s not true. And we ought not pretend it is, even in our fiction. But the truth is that God is with us, no matter what we go through or how hard things get. Portraying that truth honestly is one of the best ways to show readers what Christianity is without resorting to on-page sermons. It’s also important to be honest about what life looks like for a non-Christian. Portraying a non-Christian’s life as always dismal and lacking anything good at all isn’t honest. Many non-Christians live lives they very much enjoy. So, don’t be afraid to show people of all beliefs doing things they love.
People are individuals. This may sound similar to the first point (people are different), but it focuses on how each person is unique. It also ties in with point four (being honest). Relying on stereotypes to portray characters makes a story shallow. Yes, there are people who have shallow motives and views. Yes, they can be portrayed honestly. But when the entire story is populated by characters who have no deep thoughts or beliefs, that’s when it becomes problematic. Each person has goals, deeply held beliefs, preferences, life experiences, etc. Whether that person is a Christian or not, portraying them with their individuality in mind is key to an honest, meaningful moment/scene/story.
Are there any works of fanfiction you’ve come across that do a particularly good job of sticking to one or more of these? Which ones have you used successfully? Let me know in the comments.