I recently posted a list of thought-provoking quotations from Donald Miller on living our lives as stories. In a similar vein, I’d like to know what you think of Madeleine L’Engle’s observations on being a Christian writer. Here are some of the things she has to say in Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (1980).
“Not long ago a college senior asked if she could talk to me about being a Christian writer. If she wanted to write Christian fiction, how was she to go about it? I told her that if she is truly and deeply a Christian, what she writes is going to be Christian, whether she mentions Jesus or not. And if she is not, in the most profound sense, Christian, then what she writes is not going to be Christian, no matter how many times she invokes the name of the Lord.”
“If my stories are incomprehensible to Jews or Muslims or Taoists, then I have failed as a Christian writer. We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
“All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well. No matter what. That, I think, is the affirmation behind all art which can be called Christian. That is what brings cosmos out of chaos.” [The first sentence is Lady Julian of Norwich.]
“The journey homewards. Coming home. That’s what it’s all about. The journey to the coming of the Kingdom. That’s probably the chief difference between the Christian and the secular artist — the purpose of the work, be it story or music or painting, is to further the kingdom, to make us aware of our status as children of God, and to turn our feet toward home.”
Interesting post! I’ve read some of Madeleine L’Engle fiction books, but not any nonfiction. I will have to check out the Walking on Water book.
She also has several memoirs. The first is A Circle of Quiet, which I found at a used book store a few months ago and have been meaning to read.
I loved Madeleine L’Engle’s books for youth. I am in wholehearted agreement with her statement that we win people not by presenting arguments, but by showing forth the virtues of Christ( love, joy peace, mercy forgiveness etc) in our daily life so that people will see we are different and want to understand why!! This is what I work towards
Amen!
T
Have loved MLE’s writings for years…own quite a few …a specially cherished one is A Circle of Quiet…also read lots of her novels…own a DVD a of her at her Conn. home