Christian Writers' Reading Challenge Day 2

 Welcome to Day 2 of the Christian Writers' Reading Challenge! I'm so glad you're joining us for this adventure in faith and creativity. If this is your first time visiting my blog and you're wondering what's going on, here's a link to the first day of the challenge: Christian Writers' Reading Challenge. Today we'll begin reading Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle.

Days 2-8

Quick Guide

Required Material: Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle

Reading Guide: You are given a week to read the book from beginning to end. It's not very thick and each chapter isn't very long. If you read two chapters a day, you should finish in 6 days.

Notes: Enjoy it. Savor it. As with any book mentioned in this challenge, I recommend you get your own copy so you can underline and write in the margins. If you can't do that, then record plenty of quotes in a separate notebook. Write your own commentary. Think about Bible passages and other books you've read--especially the "sub-creator" concept from "Mythopoeia." The context of your life gives this book and others so much more meaning.

Throughout the book is also a concept of "serving the work." Remember this term--we'll come to back to it soon when we read Adorning the Dark.

Deep Dive

About the Author: Madeleine L'Engle is best known for her science fiction series, The Time Quintet, the first book being A Wrinkle in Time. Having read A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, as well as Walking on Water, I can attest to the quality of L'Engle's fiction. Her stories are laden with both social commentary and Christian themes, such as the individuality, strong family values, and the power of love. L'Engle grew up in interesting times: her father fought in the first World War, and she lived through the second. As a child in a war-torn world, L'Engle found comfort in reading and writing stories--not to escape reality, but because fiction was a reminder that sadness and war are not all there is. You'll read more about L'Engle's background in the book.

Hard Words: L'Engle writes with a mature (but not obscure) vocabulary. When I read Walking on Water, I didn't encounter any words whose definitions were unclear to me, but I ran across many familiar terms used in new ways, or worn-out religious terminology that she gave new life through her anecdotes and theological musings.

Notes for Christians: L'Engle discusses Christian art's poor reputation, and how some Christian artists hesitate to label themselves as such. (This something Andrew Peterson will bring up in Adorning the Dark.) Perhaps one of the reasons Christians hesitate to label themselves this way is because to classify art as "Christian" sounds restrictive and "inside the box," when in fact Christ and art are both interested in freedom.

The first chapter is titled "Cosmos from Chaos." In it, L'Engle discusses how art is the process of finding "cosmos" (order, a structured Universe) out of "chaos" (which, for the artist, could also be called the imagination.

In chapter two, L'Engle briefly mentions again the concept that all truly good art is religious, whether or not the creator is Christian. This reminded me of a verse: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." -James 1:17

There are three amazingly important ideas in this book, which, if you understand them, even if you get nothing else out of the book, you will be a better artist: first is the concept of icons and symbolism, as explained in chapter two. Second is the importance of Naming (as discussed in chapter seven) but also language in general, and the idea that we should respect and preserve it. Third is the overarching principle, seen throughout the book, that God is greater than we can understand, and it is unwise to place limits on Him. As my mom always says, "He's the God of Everything or the God of Nothing."

In chapter three, L'Engle mentions myths and how they are not lies, but a "revelation of the divine." Mythmaking, in simple Classical terms, is seeing God in nature and telling a story to explain it. L'Engle discusses, in a vein Tolkien would approve of, about how "the world of fairy tale, fantasy, myth is inimical to the secular world... for it is interested not in limited laboratory proofs but in truth." More is true than what we can prove. This has always been a key idea in Christianity: there is something more than the physical world--some meaning. That's "truth," in the highest sense of the word.

In chapter seven, L'Engle begins discussing the name of God. Remember the names of God we spotted in Tolkien? Now's a good time to look back on that list and consider all the names humans have for God, in both poetry and the Bible. These names tend to be qualities of God--Almighty, Father, Sovereign. As you reflect on God's many names--from YHWH to Being--perhaps look back on a familiar Christmas verse: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6.

L'Engle quotes William Temple: "It is a great mistake to think that God is chiefly interested in religion." He's onto something there. (It might even be a stretch to say religion is chiefly interested in God, but that's another discussion.) If God isn't interested in religion, then what is He interested in? I'd say people. I'll go a step further and say Christians shouldn't be chiefly interested in religion, either, but follow God's example and care for the people around us. Religion has its place, but people matter more. Jesus exhibited this when He healed a man on the Sabbath day, to the Pharisees' chagrin (Matthew 12:1-14). The Pharisees had long forgotten God's priorities. It reminds me of another controversial event in Jesus' life, when he states these priorities loud and clear: "Jesus replied: ' "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ' " -Matthew 22:37-39. If we want to love God and obey him, we must love others around us, too, because God loves all of us.

In the HA Williams quote, "The opposite of sin can only be faith, and never virtue," this is because it is faith that saves us, not virtue. Faith also guides us in our art.

Study Questions: My edition of Walking on Water comes with its own reading guide in the back, which is a thoughtful examination for the Christian artist. In the event your copy doesn't have this helpful tool, here are a few questions to guide your reading. As L'Engle says, "Generally what is more important than getting watertight answers is learning to ask the right questions."

What is the purpose of art? What is the purpose of "Christian art"? Are the two the same? If not, what similarities and differences exist between the two?

What "seductive and reasonable temptations" could L'Engle be referring to in the first chapter? Have you encountered examples of such temptations in your own life? Are there any such temptations that are specific to or especially dangerous for the Christian artist?

Reflect on the George MacDonald quote at the beginning of chapter two. How is a Christian's suffering like that of Jesus? How did Jesus make it that way? (I believe one key element may be 'purpose.') How does this new view of suffering affect the way we live our lives and tell our stories?

Where do you see God that perhaps others do not? Where do you believe one cannot see him? How does this show through in your art?

How do the concepts of seeing God in everything and God loving all of us relate?

Meditate on this quote from chapter five: "A painting of a nude body can glorify the wonder of incarnation or it can titillate and degrade." How do purpose and intention separate the artful from the degrading? What should the purposes and intentions behind Christian art be? (Perhaps turn to some of your favorite works of Christian art for ideas.)

In chapter six, L'Engle talks (not for the first time) about freedom--its dangers and joys. Consider this CS Lewis quote: "Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having." After reading this quote and L'Engle's musings, what is your answer to the reason behind free will? In what way does free will make true joy and love possible?

As writers, it is truly frustrating when non-writers brush off our art as "not hard work," because we know how we have sweated and cried over our writing. What is a Christian response to the impression that creative acts aren't truly "work"?

How do you name the characters in your stories? How can we as Christians and as writers illustrate the importance of Names in our writing?

What criteria do you, personally, use before you label anything in your life as "good" or "bad"? Does fear play into the decision? Previous experience? Prejudices, preferences, and opinions? (An interesting note on the word "prejudice": this word has not always had a sense of racism. The Latin roots literally translate to "pre-judge.") Where does this show through in your writing?

L'Engle defines an artist as "someone who cannot rest, who can never rest as long as there is one suffering creature in this world." Do you agree with this definition? In what ways is it true? Where do you see it in your own life? Do you have anything to add to it?

In chapter nine, L'Engle speaks about how sometimes we are put in a situation where all the choices we could make are wrong. Can you think of an example of this in your writing, in your character's life? Can you think of an example in your own?

When in your writing process have you had to rely on faith to know the direction of the story? Was the story better for it? Are there examples of this kind of trust in your own life?

Now that you have read Leaf by Niggle, consider this L'Engle quote: "Dare we all die? Willingly or unwillingly, we must, and the great artists go furthest into this unknown country." Is she speaking of literal or metaphorical death? If the death is metaphorical, then what is the "unknown country"? If literal, then what?

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back on the ninth day of the challenge with our next book: Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson.