God’s Gift of Literature

by Mary J. Moerbe

When my father read to me as a child, he gave me a great gift. As an educator, he knew he was shaping how my mind would receive and process language and imagery, and, as my dad, it was a bonding, relationship building activity.

That experience was more than a pastime. It was a nose-dive into the gifts of God. God gives us literature as a gift to use in our vocations and fiction as an arena to practice discernment. As language allows us to engage with one another, literature allows us to store knowledge, wrestle unknowns, explore ideas and opportunities, and craft enduring beauty.

Language

Language is a gift from God. It belongs to Him. After the Lord breathed life into man, He invited Adam to speak and name the animals. God and man spoke together, and mankind spoke amongst themselves. Most importantly, through His Word we meet the Lord and receive faith, forgiveness, and life everlasting with Him.

Christians are a word-centered people. Faith comes from actual words. We worship the Word Incarnate and we rejoice that our Lord uses His Word to create and sustain faith and creation.

We also recognize that God’s Word differs from ours. His effects immediate change, creates out of nothing, sustains the cosmos, brings the Spirit of Truth. His Word is Incarnate in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our words are imbued with meaning, but they must be learned and connected with others to be effective (1 Corinthians 14:10–11). After the insult at Babel, God did not remove the gift, but redirected it, fostering a community gift rather than the universal force it once was.

Human words, however, are still powerful. We pray, “Keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3), and urge one another, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

These concerns and exhortations emphasize that words can build up or tear down, comfort or confuse, help or confound. We use language with neighbors throughout our vocations as a source of clarity, delight, and encouragement. We write letters and record anecdotes. We text jokes and type stories. Such are not only useful, but beautiful, complex, and nuanced.

Writing allows exact expressions to persist with great benefits. The Apostles’ Creed, for example, is no paraphrase, but a carefully crafted confession teaching countless about Christ. It stands as an exemplary piece of literature within the Church, and it is far from alone. The splendor of potential in God’s creation results in many Christian writers adding their voices, with more always welcome!

Literature

It is no coincidence that the Word-centered people of God develop flourishing literate societies. As Christians “read, mark, and inwardly digest” the Word of God, Christian cultures become more word-focused. They write and educate, incorporating rich concepts, terms, and literary pieces into their thoughts and societies.

Literature, as a term, applies to a diverse assortment of texts. “Medical literature” includes studies and textbooks, while Christian literature includes a wider span of sacred writings, confessions, allegories, and more.

Christian texts are a tremendous wealth. In nonfiction, literary masterpieces, such as those by Augustine and Boethius, tackle apologetics, philosophy, prayers, meditations, poetry, biographies, educational resources, and so forth. The Confession of St. Patrick from the fifth century is wonderful. In fiction, epic poetry, allegories, dramas, and novels add to the abundance thanks to Dante, Milton, Bunyan, Chesterton, the Inklings, and more.

Many of the greatest works rose out of deep reflections on the faith and man’s standing before God. This provides a two-fold service for us today. First, we are blessed to consider apt expressions and human conditions for ourselves, inwardly. Second, we are blessed to learn how to better understand and communicate with others. Which is to say, not only does literature aid us with knowledge and compassion, but also perspective and insight into humanity.

By the gift of God, human language conveys love, skill, reason, and beauty, as we serve our neighbours. We turn phrases and form poetry; organize and rationalize; imagine and tell stories. When David played the lyre for Saul, the king became well and refreshed (1 Samuel 16:23)—and how comforting are David’s psalms for us too! Words help us to not only communicate, but to rest, bond, ponder, and pray.

Sacred and secular texts become vocational resources. The Apostle Paul drew upon the words of philosophers, dramas, and comedies five times (twice in Acts 17:27-28 and then in Acts 26:14, 1 Corinthians 15:33, and Titus 1:12) while writing with apostolic authority. Not only was he familiar with the literature of his age and earlier, but Paul found them beneficial, salutary, and applicable due to the strength of language.

One such quotation is especially pertinent: “evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 44) is a quote from the Athenian comedic playwright Menandros (likely drawing on Euripides). Evil communication corrupts; yet, good literature, including fiction and nonfiction, has been used to cultivate virtue, values, and artistry for thousands of years. Since ancient times, fables, legends, poetry, and histories have bridged the past, present, and future, granting access to countless experiences and layers of perspective.

Reading

Reading takes more than recognizing letters and sounds. It combines visual processing, fluency, comprehension, and internal reflection. Reading is like playing an orchestral piece. Various parts of the brain work together to decode and integrate something complex yet communicable. It is only possible by the grace and ingenuity of God!

While some read exclusively for work or pleasure, it is also an exercise in considering something outside ourselves. Literature offers a way to find beauty, pursue interests, and explore the world, humanity included.

Enjoyment and delight are gifts from God. They are part of the extensive goodness of creation and results from our neighbours providing for us. In nonfiction, authors stimulate us by sharing their knowledge and insights. In fiction, writers serve us through their imagination, which provides characters and scenarios to ponder.

Both fiction and nonfiction require discernment. In nonfiction, one considers what is true and whether enough facts are present to justify an overarching position. In fiction, one considers what is good. Children naturally understand the coexistence of the two, although sometimes stories can be both. For example, Jesus’ parables are true yet they draw on settings and characters, rather than data or arguments.

Vocational Reading & Writing

To sense the power of words, imagine a mother whispering love to her child. Few remember their own infancy, so how do we conjure the mental image? Do we rely on our own experiences? Our neighbors? Videos? Literature trains us to form mental images and to collect concepts along with vocabulary. Reading fills in gaps in our own encounters and memory.

Literature is a gift without parallel. It prepares us for tasks and anticipates the needs of others, cultivating empathy. It sharpens focus, trains attention, lends insight, and paves the way for further thoughts and advancements. Great novels feature patterns that help us to recognize truth in the real world. Prophecies foreshadow, characters develop, problems humble, crises build, and people suffer—yet there are still happy endings, still promises kept, still sacrifices worth making.

Reading can expand the mind, enable better communication with others, affirm the marvelous goodness of creation, and relax the body, all of which are well worth seeking. It can incite peace, activity, and liveliest conversation.

Some are tempted to read too much. Such escapism distracts from God’s other gifts in life, including those whom we are called to love. (The same is true of working too much!) It can also be hard to know what temptations may lie within. Some books promote bad ideas. Sometimes idealized characters or solutions cause disgruntled or covetous thoughts.

Since stories can draw us in so that we want to keep reading, consider what you are looking for before starting. When the author lived is one indicator of what to expect. There are many guides and reviews available to help you sort through options. Reread a book you loved as a child. Seek out a classic title or two. Look up a phenomenal Christian author or an interesting topic. Ask a librarian!

Meanwhile, write something yourself. Writing springs from many Christian vocations, though sometimes we overlook it. It is a beautiful thing to write, whether you reach out to a loved one or amuse yourself. It can aim us toward St. Paul’s wise advice: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

The Son of Man “was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him” (Daniel 7:14, emphasis added). Despite the wickedness some try to exert, verbal beauty itself belongs to God, who creates and sustains sound, as well as all that make it. “How great is His goodness and how great His beauty!” (Zechariah 9:17).

Dcn. Mary J. Moerbe is a wife, mother, author, and LCMS deaconess at Trinity Lutheran Church (Blackwell, Oklahoma). She works with LutheranHomeschool.com and encourages Lutherans to write at maryjmoerbe.com.