by Michelle Sass Aleckson, @Jesses_girl4evr
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:1-3;14
I love words. Of course, I do. I’m a writer. But even before I was a writer, these verses in John always resonated with me. I also love the other word pictures John uses to describe Jesus too, words Jesus used to describe Himself.
I am the Bread of Life.
I am the Living Water.
I am the Good Shepherd.
I am the Vine.
I am the Light of the world.
Each of these descriptions from John’s gospel help us to understand another facet of Jesus. They paint a picture for us, people living two thousand years later, to know Jesus more. We don’t find a physical description of Christ, but we can know His essence from these titles, His work, how he relates to us. And most importantly, what His role is in the story. After all, history is “His Story.” God’s story.
When John calls Jesus “the Word” the Greek term used is logos. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, logos can also mean “reason” or “plan.” Logic. It’s a connecting of the idea of the Word of God in the Old Testament, the Creator working out a plan of salvation with wisdom and power.* And in Jesus Christ, all this comes to fruition as the Word puts on flesh and comes to live with us.
Okay, so what does any of this have to do with novel writing?
Many of us have a message we would like to communicate through our stories. Values we want to come across to our readers. I want my readers to see grace. I want them to know how deeply loved they are. How precious each person is to God. And in my zeal to communicate this, I find myself getting preachy. My poor heroes have long-winded friends! How many ways can I get them to hear the truth in some kind of sermon or talk? Sure, I disguise it by having a lovable character share these sermonettes, but is it always necessary?
What if instead, I weave these ideas and values in the flesh, lived out in my story world?
If the life of Jesus is God’s Word to us, Word in the flesh, what can we know about God? What’s His “message?” We don’t need a lot of lengthy description (or preaching) when we see it in action through the life of Christ.
Yes, Jesus also preached and taught. But think of how empty those words would be without His actions?
We need truth-tellers in our lives, and in our character’s lives. But as you think about what values and ideas you want to communicate through your story, think of what they look like in the flesh. Let your readers see it in action as the story unfolds. Keep the preaching to small “truthlettes” and let the action speak for you.
And may you have a blessed and merry Christmas!
* https://www.britannica.com/topic/logos
Michelle Sass Aleckson grew up on both the east and west coasts and has traveled the world, but now enjoys living the country life in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. She loves rocking out to 80’s tunes on a Saturday night and playing board games with family and friends. She’s a graduate of Novel Academy’s Storycrafter course, and she won the 2018 Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense and the 2018 Cascade Award for Contemporary Fiction. Connect with her at michellealeckson.com!