In my movie selections, I loved fantasy movies unless I morally objected to evil being portrayed as good. In movies, I could see the mythical creatures and places come alive.
I don't struggle to bring to life scenes from books like a movie in my head... Except in some of the fantasy I've stumbled across. I sometimes have a difficult time taking the mythological and picturing it in my head unless there are great descriptions. In great writing, the mythological becomes real and not only can I see the creature or place, I am shown glimpses of things I can relate to, such as a creature with human personality traits or places I can relate to places on Earth.
Recently, as I've delved into more books in the fantasy genre, I have realized that not all fantasy is goblins and witches and spells. Megan, my eight year old, and I have spent the last couple of months reading through the Borrowers series by Mary Norton. Tonight, we finished The Borrowers Afloat. We have officially read, though the first was out of order, all except the final Borrowers novel.
We have both loved every second of the stories!
The borrowers are easy to relate with because these little people live in the same world as us, even if they are small enough to fit in a dollhouse. Any girl that played with a dollhouse as a child can envision the Borrowers perfectly. We already pretended to be them as we moved around miniature furniture and small figurines of people. Megan often plays with her dollhouse or build small items with Legos as I read to her.
I think I'll delve into fantasy a bit at a time. I have ordered the Narnia books to read to Megan soon. Since we have seen the movies and own them, I am anxious to read the books. I have slowly been reading through the Terrestria Chronicles written by Ed Dunlop. I also have plans to read other fantasy books listed on the Heart of Dakota booklist, such as The Indian in the Cupboard and The Trumpet of the Swan. I never read them as a child, but I enjoy reading them to my child.
The turning point for me to truly be motivated to delve more into fantasy was reading about C.S. Lewis. He loved fantasy, but struggled to believe in God. J.R.R. Tolkien had an impressionable discussion with C.S. Lewis that made an impression on C.S Lewis and me.
I came away feeling this:
Isn't the Bible, which seems so difficult to believe, with Nephilim, and talking donkeys, and chains falling off prisoners as they sang, and a virgin getting pregnant by God, and a man rising from death... It takes faith to believe. It takes imagination.
J.R.R. Tolkien essentially accused C.S. Lewis as lacking imagination. I instantly thought that I understood that lack of imagination. God is real, and I lack the imagination to see that He is bigger than the biggest fantasy, and could do what is contained in every fantasy if He desired. He created the Earth! Why couldn't His Son do miracles on that Earth and even rise from death?
I went recently to watch the new Star Wars movie at the theater. As I was watching, I was struck by how easy it was for me to believe in "the force." As I watched the fantasy play out in all its sci-fi glamour, I didn't question the fact that we can't fly in space with hyperdrive. We can't even figure out, on Earth, cures for diseases or how to balance a federal budget. Maybe the mind and spirit, which contains the capacity to dream up fantasy and science fiction, knows there is more than just HERE, our lives on Earth in this time, and the mind and spirit have to express it!
With that knowledge, fantasy isn't as scary. Each fantasy that portrays my Jesus gives me a better view of Him. I am careful that my view of Jesus is backed up by Scripture, but to read about fictional Kings shows me a glimpse of Jesus the King!
I am sure there will be some fantasy that I still am not drawn to read. That's okay. I have still expanded and keep expanding my reading and interests. In that, I hope I am inspiring my daughters to read, if only in my example.
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