There’s something especially beautiful about the escape to other worlds that fiction brings. I have a special passion for speculative fiction (fantasy and science fiction), but historical, mystery, suspense and all the other fiction genres have their own merits, too.
There’s just something beautiful about the escape that comes with fiction. I’ve written on this topic before, on my old website, but I wanted to explore the concept again. What is the escape that fiction brings, and is there anything wrong with craving it?
What is the escape, and is there anything wrong with craving it?
This may seem like a straightforward question with a straightforward answer, and in a way, it is. The escape is simple: it’s a retreat from the things of this world that are difficult and constantly weigh us down. Things like bills, politics, “wars and rumors of wars” so to speak (Matthew 24:6).
But is there something more to it? A deeper reason behind that longing?
I think there is. I believe we were made for something more than what we live in; we were made for a world without sin, suffering, and, well, bills. Romans 8 says, “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed…we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (New International Version).
I think that this desire for something more, something otherworldly, stems, in a way, from this inner longing, woven within the very fabric of the world. There’s nothing wrong with longing for it, because it’s part of who we were crafted to be. Beings that long for something more; something better.
Our love for stories about fairies, goblins, castles and knights, or spaceships, aliens, and everything in between is not inherently wrong. There’s beauty in the longing.
Genesis 1:27 says this:
“So God created mankind in his own image,
Genesis 1:27 (New International Version)
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.”
God, in His nature, is creative. God, in His very being, loves story. Jesus himself was a storyteller, sharing parables as a way of teaching those who followed him more about the Truth of who He is and what this world was meant to be.
Is it any surprise, then, that we should be the same?
We were made in His image. Because of that, we love story. We love beauty. We love creating things, and consuming things that other people have created, that cause our imaginations to light up in the way they did when we were kids.
For some people, mystery novels or historical novels are the kinds of stories that light up their imagination. For me, it’s fantasy stories.
There’s nothing wrong with this passion, and I think it can and should be harnessed as a beautiful means by which we express in our very nature that we were created by a fantastic, awe-inspiring God who loves story and loves things that are beautiful.
It is important, of course, to keep this in check. Anything let loose can become detrimental in the long run. If we only ever spend our time consuming stories and means of escape from the world we’re in, we can’t do what God’s called us to do.
He’s told us to, “…go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19, New International Version). We can’t do that if we’re not involved in loving and caring for the people of the nations. And how can we love and care for them if we’re reading or writing books or watching movies or consuming other mediums of story in all our spare time? We can’t.
But either way, the truth remains: there’s nothing sinful about loving story. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the escape and imagination that story brings. There’s nothing wrong with longing for more.
What’s your favorite thing about the “escape” of fiction? What genre of fiction do you most commonly escape into?
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You are right – story is a beautiful reflection of God’s nature, and our hearts do long to escape to that place of peace and perfection He promises. We just shouldn’t go overboard! Personally, historical fiction is what does it for me. I find the “escape” of reading to be a form of relaxation after a busy or stressful day – a way of letting my mind rest and refresh. But if I am particularly stressed, I have to work hard to return to the “real” world!
I completely agree. It’s so important not to get so lost in escape that you forget to “return” to the here and now – where there are real people, places, and things that need our help and care. Although historical fiction isn’t one of my go-to genres, I have found a couple of books that really sucked me in well! And I definitely get the struggle to return to the “real” world!
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