Stories Telling

Of the hundreds of books I've read in my adult life, I estimate that less than one percent were fiction. And, with the exception of Lorene Cary's "The Price of Child," Steve Lopez's "Third and Indiana," and Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," those few fiction books that I have read have been forgettable.

Add to that the fact that I watch zero TV and movies, and I am completely devoid of any supply of fictional stories. Which I think, for the purposes of being an ambassador of the Christian faith, is a bad thing. For one, I am out of touch with what others are consuming and talking about. For another, and on a related note, I am missing out on potentially compelling narratives that can serve as entry points for discussing the tenets of the Christian faith in fresh, contemporary, and understandable terms. But even the most secular of products likely contains a whiff of substance to it, from which something of the redemption story can be appended to great effect.

Alas, I fear this is just one area I am going to have to accept will not change in the near future. I have neither the time nor the interest in enlarging my consumption patterns to make up for my current deficit. Regular readers will see that my writing is largely devoid of that fresher element as a result, to which I apologize. But I welcome comments pointing me in the direction of interesting fictional stories; I admit I am unlikely to glom on to your favorite show/movie/book, but I am eager to hear what you think about it and learn from that.