“Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-19)
This Scripture is the theme and the heart of my new prolife novel Sustainer’s Smile. Through the story, Liliora Ellith receives this calling and seeks to fulfill it. Along the way, she makes peace with her own past and discovers her future among the cradles of the country’s babies, born and unborn.
But this passage isn’t just the theme of a book or the life journey of a fictional character.
It’s a calling, an injunction, a command to you and to me.
Open my mouth. Open your mouth. For the dumb. For the defenseless. For those who can’t speak for themselves. For the poor and needy. For all appointed to destruction. Open your mouth in their cause, on their behalf.
For me, one way I can do this is through writing Christian living books, both fiction and non-fiction, that demonstrate the power of God through ordinary people. There are a thousand ways to open your mouth for those who can’t speak, for those in danger. I’m not here to tell you to write prolife novels, though perhaps God might tell you that. I’m here to encourage you to consider His command and open your ears to what He is speaking to you.
For you can’t open your mouth for others unless your ears are open to God. When you open your document to write a story, a novel, a devotional, a blog post, a social media post, do you sit with your ears open to hear the voice of the King of Kings regarding the words He would have you write?
Opening our mouths—or our documents—in the cause of life in today’s society comes with a myriad of challenges. There’s a bias on this topic—so much external information stemming from political, ideological, religious, scientific, cultural, societal, and philosophical presuppositions. What’s more, the issue is incredibly emotionally charged. Abortion itself may involve victims of abuse and always involves at least one victim of violence. People on both sides wish for the best for tough situations with no easy or pleasant answers. This fallen world groans with sin and its omnipresent effects, and often the reasons behind one’s stance on abortion are deeply personal. When both bias and emotions are taken into consideration, no wonder this issue is so tough.
The question is, then, “How can we as believers take a tough cultural topic and address it in a Biblical, compassionate, truthful, and loving manner?” More specifically, how can a Christian author write fiction on these topics in that manner?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. As with every area of life, it’s an opportunity to seek God’s face and listen to His voice for His wisdom for your writing approach. Yet here are a few points that have aided me in addressing this issue in Sustainer’s Smile.
Pray and meditate on the Word of God. This book is His, not mine, and I want His truth and love to come through. If I’m not abiding in His Word and in prayer, I begin to write in my own strength.
Listen to the counsel of other godly people. I discussed plot points at length with others and their input proved extremely valuable in crafting this book. While I’m writing for God, not people, He’s given others abilities and experiences that see things I simply can’t.
Be firm in my own convictions and beliefs. This ties back to the first point: I must first know what Scripture says on this issue before I can tackle it in a book. Furthermore, reading, studying, and familiarizing myself with the logical and scientific sides of the issue is also key.
Give a new perspective. For Sustainer’s Smile, I wanted to remove the issue from its current associations completely. I wanted to present it as it is—removed from as many cultural, political, and social biases as possible. I didn’t want it to be political. I didn’t want it to come with all the baggage that it does in modern society. To that end, I set the novel in a fictional country—a country with its own history, government, and culture. My hope in so doing was to show the many sides of this issue in that fictional setting so that readers can read it on more of a “blank slate,” as it were. When the current framework for how we view abortion is removed, what’s left? Do we see the issue differently or more clearly? That’s a question I addressed indirectly in this novel.
Be aware that people’s experiences, beliefs, and convictions will differ on tough issues like this, and be prepared to accept it. I’m not trying to change anyone’s minds, though I do pray that God does. I merely want to tell the story, to present truth, perhaps to raise questions. I’m not here to argue a position. I’m here to take an understanding, compassionate stance, to acknowledge the multi-faceted nature of this issue, to tackle multiple problems while still focusing on the most urgent or deadly one, and to show how the love of Jesus reaches everyone. Does this mean compromising Biblical truth? Not for a moment. But this means approaching the topic of life as a whole—and not setting anyone on fire in our zealous efforts to douse the burning building or race inside to save the endangered child.
Think about different people reading your work: someone who agrees with you, someone who disagrees with you, someone who is in a similar situation to a villain or a victim in your book, someone who is living in sin, someone who feels hopeless, someone who is confident in a differing conviction. How would they react? Would they see the love of Jesus even in disagreement? Would the writing style or approach or words chosen close them off to your story? We don’t have to be afraid of offending someone (we aren’t writing for the praise of people), but we are called to write and speak in love, wisdom, and kindness. Unavoidably offending someone with truth is one thing; antagonizing them through lack of care in our method or approach is another.
My prayer is that by spending time seeing and knowing God within the pages both of my books if you read them and of your own books as you write them, you may know and experience Him more intimately in your daily life. As you “open your mouth” for those God has called you to speak up for, may you find His blessings and the rest and delight of furthering His kingdom on this earth. And may His life prevail!
What an honor it is to have Erika sharing this beautiful message with y'all today! I hope her pro-life stance and her God-honoring fiction is an inspiration to you - it certainly is to me! If you're interested in learning more about Erika, her latest novel Sustainer's Smile, and the Write for Life tour, then check out this post!
With love and blessings always,
Grace
Romans 1:16
Great post!
These are such great tips for writing any book, and especially ones that deal with really hard issues. Thanks so much for these - and for writing a pro-life book! 💚