The knights of Zion (how does that sound?)

[ZionKnight]

I have finally decided to present this idea before a panel of peers. But first, I hope I can get some feedback on a very important debate that has been going in my mind for a while and is the formost reason for my hesitation to writing this story that has been in my spirit for about 5 years. I could go on with a long two-sided discusion about this question, but I think that I will just sum it up in this: Do christians have any business writing fiction?

 

[ZionKnight]

I have finally decided to present this idea before a panel of peers. But first, I hope I can get some feedback on a very important debate that has been going in my mind for a while and is the formost reason for my hesitation to writing this story that has been in my spirit for about 5 years. I could go on with a long two-sided discusion about this question, but I think that I will just sum it up in this: Do christians have any business writing fiction?

Ok, fine! I guess nobody really comes here anymore. Nevertheless, I feel the overwhelming urge to post my thoughts on the subject. I think that they might help others who may have the same hesitations.
John Bunyan was one of the first seriously considered christian fiction authors, (there are, of course, others like Dante, but few so widely known.) As many of you should know, he wrote Pilgrim's Progress, among a few other equaly as powerful works. Pilgrim's Progress was highly allegorical and packed full of spiritual truths. It has been a tool to equip saints for centuries. In fact, Smith Wigglesworth, who bragged about the fact that he never read any books from any other preachers, (so as not to cloud his mind from the unadulterated word of God) said that he did, however, read from Pilgrim's Progress, and foud it to be very helpful.
These are a few lines from what John Bunyan had to say about the matter:

May I not write in such a style as this?
In such a method too, and yet not miss
My end-thy good? Why may it not be done?
Dark clouds bring waters, when the bright bring none.
....
Solidity, indeed, becomes the pen
Of him that writeth things divine to men.
....​

Should I say more? I believe that I can. And, I think that I will, at a later time. I hope to be an encouragement to all the dreamers who truly seek to use thier gift to bring glory to God and futher equip the hearts of the body of christ.​

 

[ZionKnight]

Oh yeah, about the Knights of Zion. I will start with laying a foundation of my idea. At first, I thought that I wanted it to be what I call believable fiction, (I don't know what the official term is,) having the heroes transported into the world through dreams (in sort of a mix of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and Pilgrim's Progress). Then I thought it would be better to create an elaborate machine (something like the matrix) that would bring together all the minds of the heroes (being coma patients) in the hope of reviving them. All of them would then, be caught into a single 'dream scape' by one man who would be the villan. My intentions were to bring the audience from where they were comfortable and where they understood (the 'real' world) into this new world in a way that they would accept. But justifying that leap in a way that I would accept, proved harder than I thought.
So I forsook that idea, and went with all of the heros being born in this world and introducing them one by one as the story progresses. I start with Paladin Lorell, a slave born from a long line slaves to a goblin by the name of epithumia (but, everyone call him lump). I wiil write a small trailer about him when I get the time to, it is very late when I wrote this and I must leave to feed my baby.

 

[ZionKnight]

Here is a sort of humorous way of lookng at part of the subject. I realize that the riddle isn't very hard, I spent more time thinking about the explaination that I will give later.

The riddle of the artwork: A group of so many men and so many women were all standing at an art gallary, admiring a painting of a single star peering through a cloudy daytime sky. They were all distinguished individuals, dressed in proper attire for the occasion, (except for one shabby-looking fellow, who was dressed in blue work shirt and pants).
One rather upstanding, middle aged man whose stern face and ridged posture, and the maticulous way his well kept suit was worn, gave the hint of a military background. This war hero spoke first, "I have never seen such a realistic depiction of an evening sky, the shades and blends of blue and white are breathtaking. Why, it's almost as if God himself had come down and guided the artist's hand."
Then a young lady dressed with flair, showing her exuberence for life and all it's subtlties spoke, "I would have to disagree, dir sir. Have you ever seen a sky that firery red? I think that it is more impressionistic. I think that the artist is showing her passion for God and her unquenchable desire to shine His light."
Then, the blue collar worker spoke, "Y'all 're crazy! I don't reckon that I know too much but, I never in my life seened a green sky. I bet it's one o' those (struggles with the word,) al-ee-gor-ee thingys. I think he's try'n to show us some other sky just so's that we can see our own more clear-like. That 'the heavens declare the handy work of God', or somtin' like that."
And each person responded in like manner, each with thier own spin on it. Until, a little boy emerged from the crowd and looked at them all (rather smirkingly,) and presented to them a solution, to which, they responded in this wise:
military man: Young man you are daft! How can you tell us anything when you aren't even looking at the picture?"

young lady: He's right little one. Why tell us about the 'whole picture', if you can't see it?

hillbilly: Dern tootin', boy, you jest need to put you on some glasses, cus' you sure need 'em, and have a look-see before ya go off a' runnin' at the mouth."

Now, can you tell me what the boy's solution was? And, more importantly, can you tell me the point of the riddle?
have fun.

 

[The Ascetic Crusader]

Here is a sort of humorous way of lookng at part of the subject. I realize that the riddle isn't very hard, I spent more time thinking about the explaination that I will give later.

The riddle of the artwork: A group of so many men and so many women were all standing at an art gallary, admiring a painting of a single star peering through a cloudy daytime sky. They were all distinguished individuals, dressed in proper attire for the occasion, (except for one shabby-looking fellow, who was dressed in blue work shirt and pants).
One rather upstanding, middle aged man whose stern face and ridged posture, and the maticulous way his well kept suit was worn, gave the hint of a military background. This war hero spoke first, "I have never seen such a realistic depiction of an evening sky, the shades and blends of blue and white are breathtaking. Why, it's almost as if God himself had come down and guided the artist's hand."
Then a young lady dressed with flair, showing her exuberence for life and all it's subtlties spoke, "I would have to disagree, dir sir. Have you ever seen a sky that firery red? I think that it is more impressionistic. I think that the artist is showing her passion for God and her unquenchable desire to shine His light."
Then, the blue collar worker spoke, "Y'all 're crazy! I don't reckon that I know too much but, I never in my life seened a green sky. I bet it's one o' those (struggles with the word,) al-ee-gor-ee thingys. I think he's try'n to show us some other sky just so's that we can see our own more clear-like. That 'the heavens declare the handy work of God', or somtin' like that."
And each person responded in like manner, each with thier own spin on it. Until, a little boy emerged from the crowd and looked at them all (rather smirkingly,) and presented to them a solution, to which, they responded in this wise:
military man: Young man you are daft! How can you tell us anything when you aren't even looking at the picture?"

young lady: He's right little one. Why tell us about the 'whole picture', if you can't see it?

hillbilly: Dern tootin', boy, you jest need to put you on some glasses, cus' you sure need 'em, and have a look-see before ya go off a' runnin' at the mouth."

Now, can you tell me what the boy's solution was? And, more importantly, can you tell me the point of the riddle?
have fun.

Ya lost me knight...what is this story about ?

 

[ZionKnight]

Ya lost me knight...what is this story about ?

It's a RIDDLE, crusader. Perhaps I wasn't clear about my question at the end. Using the short story, you should be able to guess what the boy said to the people.

 

[ZionKnight]

Here is a sort of humorous way of lookng at part of the subject. I realize that the riddle isn't very hard, I spent more time thinking about the explaination that I will give later.

The riddle of the artwork: A group of so many men and so many women were all standing at an art gallary, admiring a painting of a single star peering through a cloudy daytime sky. They were all distinguished individuals, dressed in proper attire for the occasion, (except for one shabby-looking fellow, who was dressed in blue work shirt and pants).
One rather upstanding, middle aged man whose stern face and ridged posture, and the maticulous way his well kept suit was worn, gave the hint of a military background. This war hero spoke first, "I have never seen such a realistic depiction of an evening sky, the shades and blends of blue and white are breathtaking. Why, it's almost as if God himself had come down and guided the artist's hand."
Then a young lady dressed with flair, showing her exuberence for life and all it's subtlties spoke, "I would have to disagree, dir sir. Have you ever seen a sky that firery red? I think that it is more impressionistic. I think that the artist is showing her passion for God and her unquenchable desire to shine His light."
Then, the blue collar worker spoke, "Y'all 're crazy! I don't reckon that I know too much but, I never in my life seened a green sky. I bet it's one o' those (struggles with the word,) al-ee-gor-ee thingys. I think he's try'n to show us some other sky just so's that we can see our own more clear-like. That 'the heavens declare the handy work of God', or somtin' like that."
And each person responded in like manner, each with thier own spin on it. Until, a little boy emerged from the crowd and looked at them all (rather smirkingly,) and presented to them a solution, to which, they responded in this wise:
military man: Young man you are daft! How can you tell us anything when you aren't even looking at the picture?"

young lady: He's right little one. Why tell us about the 'whole picture', if you can't see it?

hillbilly: Dern tootin', boy, you jest need to put you on some glasses, cus' you sure need 'em, and have a look-see before ya go off a' runnin' at the mouth."

Now, can you tell me what the boy's solution was? And, more importantly, can you tell me the point of the riddle?
have fun.

It's been forever, and I doubt anyone actualy reads this stuff, but I suppose that I should finaly post my answer.

The picture is a symbol of God's art work; man, the earth, everything in the earth, the universe, life, love, and the whole spectrum of the human experience. The three representatives are myself, (the hillbilly, I live in Arkansas,) crusader, (I don't know that he has a milatary background, or that he would talk like that, I just made milatary man from the impression I got from his posts,) and firerock, (same disclaimer as crusader). I tried to show the different perspectives we could have on any one given subject, how that we should all offer our piece of the puzzle to get 'the big picture'.
As to the boy's solution: each speaker declared that the picture was a different color, and the boy was looking at the crowd, not the picture. The hillbilly mentioned that he put on some glasses and look for himself, (I think that I hid that part a little too well). From all this, you should deduce that the boy told them to take off thier glasses because each one is colored differently.
The important message is that we all can see God's handiwork from our own eyes, and, if God has so called us into the feild of writting, then we should give our testamony of His greatness with all our might.
We may not....or rather will not all have the same style or genre that comes natural to us. Some may be able to express the message that God has stirred up in them through a documentary, and another through realistic fiction, and another through fictional war movies, and another through dramatic comedy, and still yet another through allegory.

The important question to ask is: 'Is God birthing this out of me, or is it my own selfish desire to make a name of myself?'
If you believe it is God, then press on to write it, regardless of how strange it seems, or that it has never been done like that, or there is no market for stuff like that, or any reason that doesn't line up with the word of God. For most writers, true inspiration is usualy born out of suffering, so it's probobly not going to be easy. But, Jesus already said that it would be like that. He said that you have to take up your cross and follow Him. So, let's get up and do just that.

 

[The Ascetic Crusader]

It's been forever, and I doubt anyone actualy reads this stuff, but I suppose that I should finaly post my answer.

The picture is a symbol of God's art work; man, the earth, everything in the earth, the universe, life, love, and the whole spectrum of the human experience. The three representatives are myself, (the hillbilly, I live in Arkansas,) crusader, (I don't know that he has a milatary background, or that he would talk like that, I just made milatary man from the impression I got from his posts,) and firerock, (same disclaimer as crusader). I tried to show the different perspectives we could have on any one given subject, how that we should all offer our piece of the puzzle to get 'the big picture'.
As to the boy's solution: each speaker declared that the picture was a different color, and the boy was looking at the crowd, not the picture. The hillbilly mentioned that he put on some glasses and look for himself, (I think that I hid that part a little too well). From all this, you should deduce that the boy told them to take off thier glasses because each one is colored differently.
The important message is that we all can see God's handiwork from our own eyes, and, if God has so called us into the feild of writting, then we should give our testamony of His greatness with all our might.
We may not....or rather will not all have the same style or genre that comes natural to us. Some may be able to express the message that God has stirred up in them through a documentary, and another through realistic fiction, and another through fictional war movies, and another through dramatic comedy, and still yet another through allegory.

The important question to ask is: 'Is God birthing this out of me, or is it my own selfish desire to make a name of myself?'
If you believe it is God, then press on to write it, regardless of how strange it seems, or that it has never been done like that, or there is no market for stuff like that, or any reason that doesn't line up with the word of God. For most writers, true inspiration is usualy born out of suffering, so it's probobly not going to be easy. But, Jesus already said that it would be like that. He said that you have to take up your cross and follow Him. So, let's get up and do just that.

More action Zion. Read my screenplay " My Battle Armour "

 

[ZionKnight]

More action Zion. Read my screenplay " My Battle Armour "

I just read your other response, that's clever.