There are countless people in the world who don't understand people of faith who love to discuss the works of God and the Word of God and to praise Him openly. And some of those people are reviewers for general market publications who review Christian fiction. Many such reviewers just don't "get" those characters in our books who find such joy in the Lord, who talk about Jesus openly and with fervor. They often think these characters are unrealistic and/or unnatural. Which just shows they haven't been hanging out with any of my friends.
The truth is, my life is a great deal like the lives of the characters in my books. I talk about God all the time with my family and friends. I think about God when I'm alone. I write about Him in my fiction and in my journals. It's simply second nature to me and to the people I know best. To me, the unrealistic/unnatural characters are those who don't discuss the Lord as easily as they would discuss the weather. At least that's true of Christian characters in Christian fiction.
In Mark 5:1-17, Jesus cast out a legion of demons from a man and sent them into a herd of pigs that then plunge into the sea and were drowned. The townsfolk were so frightened by the event, they begged Jesus to leave. And then this:
When Jesus got back into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too. But Jesus said, "No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." (Mark 5:18-19)
This is what I take away from those verses: If Jesus has touched your life, you need to go tell your friends and family about Him. Don't hide in the church and don't leave town. Talk about Him wherever you are best known. Sing the praises of the Lord for all to hear. Proclaim His mercies to the hurting, frightened, unbelieving world. They need to hear your story.
~robin
