Jesus Fan Fiction ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we get to the heart of a matter, there is often so much simplicity in the truth that we do not believe it.  We have ways of evaluating the truth but we often like fiction more than the facts.  Creating “truth” that fits our desired outcomes is perhaps the most common form of self-deception.

When we neglect the whole truth about faith and following, we are neither using faith nor are we following.  The truth is all that matters.  It does not mean that we cannot use fiction to open minds to the truth.  It does, however, preclude us from creating stories that build false aspects of who Jesus is.

When I write books about The Foster Father of God, The Praetor, or The Magi, I am not trying to add to the truth about Jesus.  I am trying to tell a story that embodies that truth and teaches it in the backdrop of some adventure and intrigue.  The people who surrounded Jesus during the first century were real.  They lived and died and interacted with all that their world was.

I do my best to research the history and include it in the tale.  I seek to show that none of the heroes or villains were unidimensional.  Including the supernatural that occurs in our journey is simply part of acknowledging the truth that is there.  It is part of how I give space to the truth that the Father is unfolding all things according to his plan.

If my stories draw you to see Jesus as he is, then I have done my part.  Fanfiction, however, does not adhere to the truth.  It creates things outside of canon that are products of the fiction creator's musings.  When humans do this in most cases, it is a compliment to the original creator of the art.  When it comes to the things of God, however, there is no room for changing or diminishing the truth.

I must use the creative gift I am given without indulging in the easy path of neglecting the truth.  It is also required that I always speak the truth in love.  Even when confronting the creators of fanfiction that belies who Jesus is, I must do so with respect and love.  Weaving tales that draw us into the truth is service to the Father, Dear Reader.  

As I currently prepare to deliver another of those stories for your Christmas season, I ponder the character of people who really lived and how they interacted with Jesus.  When we journey through these lives, we can see love, grace, and mercy lived out as the Father intends.  That is a tale worth telling and hearing.  My next fiction will be about the Magi and their journey.  Following that will be a tale about Judas and how he arrived at his place in history.  None of it will be fanfiction.  Please stay with me as your company is always a source of joy for me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good. 

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
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The tales we weave surrounding Jesus must never violate the truth of who he is or what he has done for us.

Jesus Fan Fiction ~ Buddy Jesus

Greetings Dear Reader, 

Earlier in this series, I mentioned that we must not neglect aspects of Jesus that are vital to seeing him honestly.  One of those is that he is holy.  He is set apart from anyone else.

The fanfiction we create when we neglect this is connected to our view of Christ.  I am going to introduce a fancy term for you here.  It is the hypostatic union.  This is the understanding that Jesus is both 100% God and 100% man.  The divine and the human reside in him fully. 

This matters because we emphasize the humanity of Jesus over the divinity too often.  We handle the things related to him as common and ordinary.  Putting Jesus in proper perspective means that we see his holiness, righteousness, and justice as things to be considered as vital to who Jesus is.

It is how we handle the things of God that shows the depth of our faith and following.  If we fail to see the Son for who he is, we create fanfiction about him that makes him our buddy.  Jesus is a friend of all who will have him.  He is not a casual encounter or friend of convenience.  We forget that when we claim to follow Christ, we are taking up the banner of the Living God.

I must never forget that when we claim Christ, we are representing every aspect of him.  We tell others that our words, actions, and attitudes are linked to the love and truth of Jesus.  We are to be holy, righteous, and just if we are to make Jesus real for our lives.  More so, we must do it to represent him for others.

Jesus is not our buddy.  He is not someone with whom we pal around.   He is the Scandalon that trips up others who would avoid the truth.  He is the Creator, Mighty Counselor, and the Prince of Peace.  When we forget who Jesus is, we create fanfiction of who we wish he could be.  This fanfiction almost always violates his character. 

We cannot follow a false image of Jesus, Dear Reader.  If we do, it is creating God in our own image and that is idol worship.  Real faith requires that I follow Jesus as he is no matter how uncomfortable that gets for me.  When my image is in conflict with who Jesus is, it is I that must change because the truth will not.

We can have the real thing for free but we instead create counterfeits that neither satisfy nor save.  In doing this, I must be sure to never allow the Divine to overshadow the humanity of Christ.  I can, however, continue to seek Christ in truth and try to become more like him in every aspect.  I am human so, I will fail.  What matters is that keep moving, keep trying, and reject the fanfiction for the truth in every aspect.  Jesus is not my buddy but he is my friend.

 Playing Marbles with Diamonds – Steve Camp

Waking up to a very different world
We got mud on our flag before it’s even been unfurled
Our heroes have fallen and a leader is hard to find
The clock is running out and we’re casting our pearls before swine

There’s a whole lot more than preaching to the choir
Kneeling at the altar and paying our tithe
We’ve been treating God like he’s happiness for hire
We’ve been playing marbles with diamonds

Isn’t it a sin how his name how his name gets thrown around
We pat God on the back like a buddy from out of town
We thank “the man upstairs” for the things people praise us for
We give God the glory but we’re happy to take the award

There’s a whole lot more than raising lots of money
Building our churches and spreading our faith
If faith is just the dice you roll to get lucky
We’ve been playing marbles with diamonds

 There are precious things of God
And we must guard them with our lives
Like an unborn baby’s dreams
Like a husband love his wife

May the hope of his returning
May it glorify our faith
As we hold onto his holy word
May the chaff be blown away

Can we ever live up to the things we say we believe
Because the world is watching looking for some honesty
Are we riding down a freeway instead of on a narrow road
We turned the passion for the lost into the business of saving souls

There’s a whole lot more than preaching to the choir
Kneeling at the altar and paying our tithe
We’ve been treating God like he’s happiness for hire
We’ve been playing marbles with diamonds

There’s a whole lot more than raising lots of money
Building our churches and spread
If faith is just the dice you roll to get lucky
We’ve been playing marbles with diamonds.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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“Isn’t it a sin how his name how his name gets thrown around?  We pat God on the back like a buddy from out of town.”

Jesus Fan Fiction ~ Free Choice

Greetings Dear Reader,

I was in a discussion with someone I love dearly.  I was explaining that there are natural consequences to our choices.  She was bothered by this and said, “I don’t want there to be consequences.”  I hear this in my head every time I wish I were not receiving the consequences of my poor choices.

One of the fanfiction genera that we all embrace is the idea that Jesus forgives us so there are no consequences.  This is a great lie.  Some things follow others in sequence.  That is the way it is.  It is the reason that we need grace and mercy. 

We think that because all consequences do not appear instantly that they will not come.  Sometimes we think that we can outrun them.  We try to bargain our way out of them as well.  They follow our choices because they are part of the choice.

I rarely see my own consequences until they are upon me.  Too often, I see the consequences creeping up on others.  My failures, however, often keep them from hearing me when I try to warn them.  Yet another consequence and casualty of my choices is added to the load.

We grieve too often over the consequence and not the sin. Our eyes fix on our circumstance and not the choices that brought us here.  I have seen the Father give both grace and mercy to me when I deserve nothing.  I am not being self-deprecating.  I surely do not deserve the love of the Father or the redemption offered by the Son.  The consequence of my rejection of the Father should be that I remain fatherless.  Instead, he asks that I accept by faith that he loves me and that his true Son has paid the penalty for my failures.

Too often we deny that there will be any reckoning for our choices.  There will be and we will try to avoid them.  This is one of our great fanfictions that Jesus will not hold us accountable for our choices.  He actually said that we will give an account for every word we speak.  Ponder that for a bit with me, Dear Reader.

If I pretend that there are not consequences for my words and actions, then I fictionalize who Jesus is.  He wishes to deal with me in love and grace.  His desire is to show mercy.  He will, if he has to, meet out justice for what I say and do. 

The journey home will be filled with opportunities to choose.  What I choose will have consequences.  It will not matter what I want when this unfolds.  When I choose to act, I choose my consequence.  I choose the fruit of the trees I plant.  That is the way that it is and the way it must be.  It is why I strive to be lovingly unoffendable, kind, generous, and gracious.  I still fail but choosing to love first and deal in grace is becoming a habit.  I have left behind the kind of fiction that denies who Jesus is.  What do you think, Dear Reader?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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“What you want is irrelevant; What you have chosen is at hand.”

Jesus Fan Fiction ~ Jesus is Magic

Greetings Dear Reader,

I regularly get to hear a six-year-old child pray.  Her prayer is more like a visit to Santa’s lap than addressing the King of all creation.  Still, she always wants to pray and that is a beautiful thing.  She is only six and does not yet understand the intimacy of prayer.

One of the most irksome things I see is the way in which others who know better treat Jesus like he is their own personal magic lamp.  They pray and teach others to pray about their needs and their wants.  They spend little time interacting with God as a King or compassionate Saviour. 

Western Christianity contains too much thinking that God is our ATM to get what we want in exchange for a little lip service and wearing the right t-shirt.  The health and wealth that is touted as our right by some is just another form of Jesus fanfiction.  The Father does want us to depend on him for all our needs and to give our desires into his care.  He does not promise that we will be rich or that we will never be ill or harmed.

He wishes for us to focus on the needs of others.  He wants us to pray for them, hurt with them, and have faith on their behalf.  I have a friend who often shares his prayer time with me.  He constantly prays for others to have a healthy mature faith.  I have heard him say when others struggle with belief, “I will believe enough for both of us until you get there.” 

It is not that Jesus is magic.  It is that our faith, when focused on the proper things becomes a powerful tool to harness the promise that we can ask what we will.  My dreams and desires are not wrong.  They must, however, be kept in perspective so that when I pray for them, I am not rubbing a magic lamp.  Jesus is not my djinn.  He is the one who loves my soul and longs to give me whatever will further align my journey with his.

I must not engage in the fanfiction that I will get whatever I ask.  I will allow the Father to shape the desires of my heart so that he can supply them knowing that I will use them well.  In remembering that adoration, confession, and thankfulness are all as vital as supplication in prayer, I find that I can shift the focus to a proper attitude.  It is also helpful to me that I save the supplication for last. 

We all know that feeling when someone asks us for something without even saying hello.  There is also the arrogance of those who ask us for things after offending us like nothing has happened.  Finally, there is a lack of gratitude that hurts us.  I must consider that I do this often and abstain from it. 

We must pray, Dear Reader.   We must not neglect the power of doing so with the right heart and attitude.  Jesus is not our magic lamp.  That is fanfiction in the extreme.  As I pray each morning, I will pray for your needs and believe that the Father will be there for you.  If you do the same for me, I will be very grateful.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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 “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benzes.  My friends all drive Porches, I must make amends.”

Jesus Fan Fiction ~ All You Need is Love

Greetings Dear Reader,

Almost every day I refer to love as the foundational essence of my journey.  This is true.  I mention that all other things involved in following Christ are built upon this.  Loving the Father and all humans is the only place to stand.

Beyond that, however, we must not fail to understand that if we do not represent the other aspects of Jesus, we are writing fanfiction.   God is love.  That is not all he is.  Built upon that love are other aspects of God that must remain pure and complete.  Because we do not understand the harmony fully, we sometimes neglect them.

I am speaking of things such as holiness, righteousness, and justice.  These are the hard work of following Christ.  We are supposed to be like Christ in these aspects as well.  If we neglect them, then the love upon which we stand becomes tainted through failing to reflect all that the love of God is. 

We do not need to dwell long on this.  We must leave judgment and condemnation to the Father.  It is not my place to engage in this.  I must, however, focus on these things as facets of my journey toward home.  I must make sure that I work to be holy, righteous, and just in my interactions.

When I fail to be holy; set apart to Christ, then my love for others will be self-serving.  If I am not righteous, then I become a hypocrite and my love will be tainted by my fallen nature.   Injustice in my life will result in failure to love everyone.  I will measure it out by my standards instead of the Father’s.

If anyone suggests that I accept that which is wrong based on the love of God, I must also ask if it is holy, righteous, and just.  If it is not, then they are asking me to accept their version of fanfiction about God and not the real Jesus.  I must adopt all of this with humility as well.  If I do not then I will not be measuring them out with love.

Even when I reject how others suppose Christ to be, I must do this without judgment of the person or condemnation of their lives.  The way grows narrower when I attempt to put these things in balance.   It is still this path that leads us home, Dear Reader.  It is still the truth that makes the story unfold for us all. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

 Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook      
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 If I leave out the aspects of following Christ that are difficult, I am writing fanfiction that does not fit the canon.

Jesus Fan Fiction ~ Why Write Fiction?

Greetings Dear Reader,

 First, let me say that this will lead to the common application of my journey in following Christ.  I need, however, to consider the value of what I do in weaving tales of fiction that surround the Divine.  Since fiction is not true, I must ponder if historical fiction is a form of tarnishing the truth.

Tolkien addresses this in his essay On Fairy Stories.  We create because we are created.  “…We make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker”.   As with all things we can do that are good, we do them out of the formative “DNA” of our design.  When we create stories for good purposes, we are furthering the intent of redemption.  Tolkien and Lewis both crafted tales that delivered the idea of our reconciliation to the Father in ways that were subtle but binding.

There are those who suggest that fiction is not good or that it is only for children.  These two positions are untenable for those who follow Christ in truth.  Jesus used parables, fictional stories, to teach the truth.  This alone satisfies both objections.  He used them so, they are, therefore, good.  Jesus used them with adults, they are, therefore, not only for children.  Quod erat demonstrandum.

 Since following Christ involves emulating what Jesus did, it is reasonable that we would create stories to reflect the truths he taught us.  My approach is to put hands and feet on those ideas and ideals through telling stories that fill in the life around the accounts given in the Bible.  I am not adding to the account.  I am not trying to say that the biblical account is not enough.   I do attempt to tell stories that reflect the character of God as he interacts with his supporting cast. 

The reason I wish to write for my income is so that I can spend my time crafting ways to suggest that others follow Christ.  I want my days to be filled with writing and serving others.  The reason I write, whether anyone reads it or not, is to sharpen my focus on faith and following.  It is my faith that is encouraged by spinning out the tales that dance through my mind.

If you, Dear Reader, are encouraged by my stories and musings, it helps me when you let me know.  I make my writing public for accountability and to push me to better live what I believe.  It will become my sustenance when the Father wills it.  Your obligation is to do what you are required of by the Father.  It is not my place to say what that is.  It is, however, your responsibility to live whatever truth you gain from my scribblings.  Together we can become better followers of Christ if we both apply our hearts to this.  I treasure your prayers and patronage for my writing and the journey I am on concerning it.

 Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook      
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If we dismiss the image of the Divine in the tales crafted by Tolkien and Lewis, we dismiss the Divine.  That is no small thing.

Second Thoughts ~ Killing Characters

Greetings Dear Reader,

My friend Penny (the best author marketing solution out there) posted a question today that was humorous and enjoyable.  It also struck a more serious chord in me.  Her question was this, “Do authors cry when they kill the best character, or do they smile, laugh, and have a cup of tea with Satan?” 

My response was more serious than her meme:

“My editor actually called me at 2 in the morning crying because I killed a character she loved. She was mad at me for weeks. I feel the pain when I kill any character. As Donn said, ‘every man's death diminishes me.’ I think for writers it is even the imaginary ones. Then again, we can resurrect them by writing prequels.”

I want to walk through my thoughts on this by letting you get to know one of my characters who appears in four of my novels.  His name is Patrius.  He is a Roman Centurion.  He is also a man who hates where he is stationed, the people he is responsible to control, and Jews in general. 

I felt that his character was a bit flat in The Foster Father of God.  At the time I did not realize how important he would become to me.  Keep in mind that this man is a killer.  He likes hurting people and plays a key role in how things unfold for Joseph, Jesus, and the world in which they walk. 

That said, I realized that I had to flesh him out a little more in The Praetor and I put him in the midst of the action.  Then I killed him.  I realized that he deserved more.  There is more to his story than had been told.  Even the vilest among us is still a human loved by God and worth the effort of redemption.  There is always a reason why people reject love and grace.  I had to give him more facets and allow him to be who he is.

Then I started writing the prequel that overlaps The Foster Father of God.  He plays a more significant role in Magi: The Gift Bringers (to be published Christmas 2020).  I take the time to show his journey toward who he became.  He does not magically become a better man.  We can, however, better understand him.  We can find enough of him to love him and wish that he had chosen to be a better man.

Every man’s death, even the fictional ones, diminishes me.   To be an honest author I have to have men who are flawed, fallen, and refuse reclamation.  I would rather that real stories included a happy ending for everyone.   I would rather give you an honest story than a magical lie.  So, we must see that killing our secondary and sometimes our main characters are necessary to an honest tale.   After all, the Father killed the most beloved character in the narrative that allows all our stories.  If Jesus does not die, there is no redemption, and all is really lost.  Fortunately, the author and finisher of our faith sees fit to resurrect the main character from the dead.  The rest is hope and opportunity.  It is a tale worth knowing and telling.  We are the sub-creators who get to tell tales that mirror his grand tale.

 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon                 

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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