The Religion of the Wheel of Time

Since the series has been officially completed now, I wanted to share a few notes on it.  I have enjoyed the series since I was a kid.   In fact, I read it before I even read the Lord of the Rings.  As time has gone on, I have just gotten more fascinated with this vast and complex fictional history.

Does that mean that I agree with everything in it?  Not necessarily.  As well as drawing from Christian imagery, it draws from Authorian legend, Masonic doctrine and Buddhist religion.  However, it does stand as a great example of a highly developed fantasy world, and I think aspiring writers can learn several good lessons from a highly skilled author.

I will try to avoid spoilers, but the basic history goes as such:  There is the Creator.  He created the world long ages before the time of the story. Standing opposite to him is the Dark One, Shaitan, who is the essence of destruction and chaos.  Through the ages they have fought their endless war using human surrogates- the Creator with the Dragon, and the Dark One with the Forsaken, powerful men and women who have sold their souls.

There is also the Wheel.  It has seven spokes, for Seven Ages.  The  timeline is seen as cyclical, not linear, as in Buddhist philosophy.  It is reflects Eastern philosophy in the idea of the One Power- the force the Creator put into the world to control it and run it, and that certain gifted people can tap into to do what we would think of as magic.  Of course, the Dark One has his power too- the True Power, that would corrupt and enslave anyone that uses it. 

Is the Creator involved in his creation?   No.  This is a deistic God, speaking only twice in the entire series.  Though people may pray to him, he is not likely to respond.  However, the Dark One will respond to whoever calls upon him, often in frightening and horrific ways. This leaves the world is unbalanced, but this is the essential flaw that the Creator instituted into his creation, for without it, free will would be lost and people would have no choice between good and evil.

We must be aware, too, that this is no static religion.  What need is there of a church when good and evil are right before you?  The creatures of the Dark- Trollocs, Myrdraal, the Golem, and Darkfriends- are always active, ready to do their dark lord’s bidding.  So, too, good is active- though again, good is handicapped.  The only way to remove the handicap is to seal the Dark One into the prison the Creator put him in, so returning the world to a paradisiacal state.  To this end, the Dragon works tirelessly, in every Age.

That is enough to go on.  It is a complex set of beliefs, not even counting that the Dragon is often misunderstood, and the prophecies about him are often extremely dark.  He is more of an anti-hero than a hero, but he is the only one that can redeem the world from the Dark One’s touch. 

As such a flawed character, working in such a handicap, I think the Dragon introduces a huge element of danger.  What if he succumbs- either to temptation or to pressure?  He could destroy the world as easily as save it.  Then, too, there are the free choices of the characters.  If they don’t support him, he loses, and the world with him.  If he wins, all will win together.   So religion is not used to preach- it is used as an essential part of the story.  Win one for Robert Jordan.

His religion is also complex.  It is not a simple good and evil.  Like our world, religion is seen as dangerous and unpredicatable.  Here, your millenialists are evil.  They want the Dark One to win.  But sometimes, they help the Dragon, for their own designs.   Just because someone may have sold their soul doesn’t mean they have lost their free will- there is often white within the black.  One of the most stunning reversals happens in book twelve, and in my opinion changes the whole course of the novels for the better.

But there is often black within the white.  Those that are good have their own designs as well.  They, too, have their free will.  Not all want to bow to the Dragon’s rule (for he is king as well as messiah).  They want their own kingdoms and their own ambitions to be realized- why bow to a man that could lose when they are so much more capable, at least in their own eyes?  Many of these ambitions only play into the designs of the Dark One, much as our own ambitions often hurt goodness more than help it.  So the religion is also true to life- win two for Robert Jordan.

Third, there is often the idea of helplessness.  This is a war between two powerful beings- and men often feel ground down into the dust between them.  Even the Dragon, for all his power, is only a representative of the Creator, not the Creator himself.  And the Creator will not help.  He left his Power, and then withdrew.  And this is no Holy Spirit, either, just a blind force controlled by men.  So what can men do?  All they can do is choose right- but what is the right?  Sometimes, the Dark looks extremely attractive.  Even if the Dragon wins, the Wheel will just turn again.  Why try to win?  In this, we can see our own lives.  Many voices compete for our affections, and sometimes it is hard to know what to do.   So this religion is not a comfort or a dues ex machina- this is often a terror.  So the pursuit of goodness is often seen as worse than daily life- win three for Robert Jordan. 

So what did we learn from this master of fantasy?  If you must have a religion in your novels, make it:

Complex and uncertain,

True to life,

Seen as a burden, not a comfort,

Essential to the plot.

Do this, and you might be able to put in your beliefs, not as a preacher, but as a writer.  And your novel will be far richer. 

(And no, I am not saying if the Dragon wins, or even who the Dragon is.  Read the books for yourself.)

Implications

There are certain implications to believing that everything is a gift from God.  I definitely believe the doctrine, but what might come from that?  There are three things that I see.

We have no ability to boast.  Ephesians 2:9-10- “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves.  It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone boast.”  Now what am I saying here?  Am I saying that hard work doesn’t count, or learning, or just plain old grit and determination?  Not at all.   Writers work hard at their craft and they deserve praise when they strike the jackpot. However, this is what I am saying:  our gifts, like our salvation, is ultimately given by God.  And success ultimately comes from him.  He alone deserves the ultimate praise for every book we write and publish.

Remember, too, that there is a difference between having others praise you and praising yourself, but we shouldn't angle for that praise from other people.  I think, with success, comes a subtle pride.  We may never say, “Look at me,” but we act as though we deserve praise.  Our whole lives slowly begin to change, and we begin to crave more and more attention unless we are careful to keep everyone’s eyes where they belong.  We just play the background- God has the lead and always will.

If we can’t boast, what else does that mean?  It means, no matter the success, that we are not changed in the core of who we are.  And who are we first?  Children of God.  I’ve written several posts that talk about how a Christian should act and I won’t repeat myself too much except to say that our lives are meant to be given away, not held onto.  We are not our own if we call ourselves a Christian.  No one serves us.  We serve first the God who gave his life away, then people created in his image.  

So what does this mean?  That we give them the stories they want?  In response to that, and I ask genuinely, has Twilight made people better?  I think everything we say and do as Christians should have a positive effect on society, and that includes our fiction.  So to answer the question, not always.  We give people what they need, not what they necessarily want.  And in our culture, what people need are heroes, men and women who are unquestionably good, that have hearts that are pure.  They don’t just fight evil.  They embrace goodness.  (In my opinion, most superheroes fall into that category) Our culture needs far more than that, but that is a good place to start.

Finally, if writing is a gift, it should inspire worship.  If writing is a right, it’s mine.  I can do with it what I please.  But if it is a gift, it is God’s.  We worship God and then act like he is our Lord and Savior, and that includes our writing.  Ultimately, we don’t write for ourselves.  I find fulfillment in my writing, and that is no lie.  However, I don’t do it primarily for myself.  I do it as an act of worship and an act of service. 

I don’t know about any other writers.  But I think that if we really pick up on God’s grace and his goodness in giving us what he has given us, we will have these types of attitudes.   And I think we will be better people for it.  

A Gift or a Right?

I am studying to become a pastor.  I don’t say that to boast, but to introduce my point.  My point is this.  I don’t deserve the title.  I am far from perfect, and though I am growing, I will not be perfect till soul and body separate. 

Somehow, though, God has given me a dream to teach his sacred and holy Word to those who are desperate for hope.  And he has opened his Word to me.  He has given me a dream that he says I can fulfill.  I don’t know about that sometimes, but He does.   And that’s enough- that an underserving man would be trusted with the power that raised Christ from the dead.  And that is a gift that I want to keep in sacred trust until the day I die. 

If we call ourselves Christians, I think we need to keep that perspective.  And if we are writers, we need to keep that perspective. I don’t consider myself especially talented, gifted, or sharp with words.  I know there are writers far better than me.  But I have a dream that I believe God has given me- to communicate his truth through fiction and poetry.  Did I ask for it?  Did I really desire it at first?  No.  Honestly, I never wanted to be a writer as a kid.  I could write, but I never saw myself doing it for the rest of my life. 

But the stories came.  I couldn’t keep them in.  And as I wrote, my mind expanded to contain all the plots and characters that mark my fiction- Yisral and Sasha for my fantasy, and Ed, Lacey, and Susanna for my thrillers.  (Those are the main characters, of course.  There are many more!)  And then came themes, enough to make my heart break. 

So what am I saying?  I am saying that my writing, like my desire to be a pastor, is a gift.  I wanted neither at first.  It’s far less dangerous to be a businessman, and I pursued that for a time.  I still believe God will use it.  But being a businessman was the plan God adopted.  It was not the plan of his choice.  Writing and being a pastor are the gifts God has given me, and those gifts mark me forever. 

But there is one dangerous part with gifts.  They can be misused.  I’ve written a bit on that, but I want to reemphasize the point.  God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable.  What God gives, he does not take away.  But they can be twisted.   We know about pastors who have misused their gifts and have led people to the gates of hell.  What about writers?   Are there writers who have misused their gifts, sold out, compromised, and chased the world’s success instead of God’s heart?  Yes.  Yes, there are. 

God does not take away his gifts, but he can remove those who would abuse what he has so graciously bestowed.  He has removed those who have fallen.  He could remove me if I do not remember I am no longer my own and forget that what I have is a gift and not a right.  If everything I have written on my blog doesn’t come through clearly, take this away:  As Christians, everything we have is a gift.  None of what we have we can boast about or claim as divine privilege.  Even the fact of creation is an act of grace- our very existence is from God’s mercy.  I don’t say that lightly, but from my study of the Trinity, and I believe I am correct in that assumption. 

So let’s as Christian writers use our gifts, but with the sober responsibility of the power that we have been given.  We change the world, for good or ill, and how we change the world really depends on our perspective, I think.  Let’s have the right one. 

In the next post, I’ll spell out some of the implications of what I have said.  

Abuse

We’ve all experienced it to some degree.  Very few have not.   What is this I speak of?  Abuse.  Whether mental, emotional, physical, sexual or spiritual, the pain remains the same.  Some might say that we bring it upon ourselves.  Other say it is a curse from God.  Some might even, who believe in dualism, say that it is part of living in an eternal battleground. 

What my beliefs are remain the same as the beliefs orthodox Christians hold:  We live in a temporary battleground between God and Satan, and abuse is only one of the evils that come in a fallen world.  But how it came is not as important as what people do about it.

I personally think abuse is one of the greatest evils that exists in our world.  Blasphemy tops the list, but abuse is only a step behind.  I’ve been the victim of some of it.  I know others have had worse than me, and I think that so much of it goes underneath the table, so to speak, because of shame and fear.  After all, when the powerful use their power wrongly, how can the people stand?  When you are beat down, how do you speak?

And that brings me to the point.  We as writers have a unique opportunity.  Of course, journalism exists to expose the abuses that exist in real life, but what about the culture that makes such evils possible?  We can expose a culture that thinks that we are animals and should act like animals.  We as writers can say, “No, we are created in the image of God and this is how we act when we are created in the image of God.”  When many movies and books show the pointlessness of life and that we deserve no purpose and that pleasure is all there is, we can say, “We as people have purpose and dignity.”  As preachers preach from the pulpit, so we can preach from the keyboard. 

I’ll tell you the great thing about this topic and the culture that makes it possible.  Not just Christians say that abuse is wrong.  Many feminists stand against pornography and the abuses that it produces.  Though I don’t agree with many of their statements, I agree with that stance.  The same might go for police agencies that stand against kidnapping and sexual torture.  (I have a very high respect for the FBI)  What about the military that will die to nearly the last man to prevent terrorism?  Isn’t terrorism also a form of emotional abuse, albeit on a national scale? 

I don’t see any reason why writers can’t work together to speak out against the abuses of our society.  Whether it is Tom Clancy speaking of the international forces that threaten our society, or Ann Rule exposing the secret and terrifying lives of serial killers, or Francine Rivers revealing the hypocrisy of the church, abuse must be exposed and laid to light.  If not, all the legislation, armies, and police in the world will just be fighting a losing battle.  However, only Christianity truly exposes the darkness of the human heart and shows our sin nature for what it is. 

As a shoutout along those lines, I have to applaud Rachel Held Evans.  I know some people read her blog and love her books.  Though I may not agree with all she stands for theologically (and I don’t, as a man, understand some of her perspectives), I will back her 100% in her effort to expose spiritual abuse within the church.  I don’t think the church will suffer for it.  If anything, the church will become stronger as bad practices and a culture of authoritarianism are exposed for what they are- a source of deadly, crippling cancer within the body of Christ. 

How do we expose the roots of the problem, and not just the symptoms?  There are three ways that I see. 

 Make evil disgusting.  I think part of the problem with modern media is that often, evil is make to look cool.  I for one am deeply troubled at the acceptance of evils that 50 years ago would be taboo, including the occult, ritual sacrifice, games of sexual power, and the secret world of organized crime.   We can never glorify what degrades and destroys man.  That is why superhero movies appeal to me and crime fighter movies more so- evil is decisively shown to be corrupt and black, worthy of destruction.  Some things are black, twisted, and corrupt and need to make us nauseated.  As an example of this, no novel I read made me as sick as House, by Ted Dekker.  That was one of the rawest, most shocking portrayals of darkness I’ve ever read.  We need more books like that. 

Stop mocking good.  Equally disturbing to me is the trend in many circles to mock traditional values.  I won’t watch many comedies for that reason- the genre is infected with mocking what is sacred.  How can evil not win when we have comedians laughing at sex instead of standing for marriage? I’ve heard it said that we should laugh at the devil.  While that may be true, we never laugh at God and what he has instituted.  So that may mean rejecting Friends and the Big Bang Theory.  Call me a prude.  Call me whatever you want, but some things are sacred.  Keep them that way.

 Show the bigness of God.  We are all flawed.  I get it.  But there is one who isn’t.  I hate movies that make God small.  I think Bruce Almighty was the perfect example of a comedy that does things right.  Though funny, it has a great point that God is bigger than us.  Way bigger.  And his plan is always, always good.  Write books that show the greatness and power of God and his plan for our lives.  You don’t have to mention his name (Esther doesn’t) but show that we have purpose and significance and that there are no accidents in this life. 

As a bonus, I’d add a forth:  don’t buy into the lie that we are animals.  We aren’t.  We are human beings.  Nothing else on this earth can reason or worship or study or make a civilization.  That sets us apart, let alone the fact of having a soul.  We have freedom and dignity.  We can rise above our instincts and walk a moral high road.  The ideas of Darwinian evolution and its unholy offspring of Marxism, socialism and eugenics have caused more  death and abuse than any religion ever did.  The world is soaked in blood because of that belief, and the sooner it is consigned to hell, the happier I will be.  We as writers show by the very fact of writing that evolution is false- so let’s write more books that are positive and truthful. 

Selah

Fear and Judgment

Fear.  It's something few people want to admit to.

I don't.  I mean, I've been around the world.  I've been in some situations that would make people pee their pants.  I've eaten some things people in America have never even heard of.  And that means little when it comes to fear.  In fact, some of that may have contributed to my fear.

I'm not here to list what I am afraid of.  Some know, some don't.  But fear has a child:  judgment.  I think people who are judgmental are really afraid.  After all, there is no better way to distract from your problems than to focus on the problems of someone else.  I've been on both ends of that stick, and neither end is very fun.  Then you combine that with an active imagination, and suddenly you are in deep trouble.  You begin to see problems where there are none.  Things become exaggerated.  You stop being logical, and become hyper-emotional.  Then half of what comes out of your mouth no one understands.  As far as following others, especially those in authority- forgetaboutit.  You become proud, arrogant, legalistic, and...paranoid.  The end of that process, of course, is alienation and eventually spiritual and mental death.

I am sure I am not the only writer in such a state, or disentangling from such a state.  How do you disentangle and see things logically?  And then, when you speak, as you must, how do you remain impartial?  I don't have three points, but I do know that it is the time to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection.

If Easter is correct, and Jesus died for my sins, than both fear and judgment are there with him, dead and buried with him.  And if Jesus rose from the grave, those things remain dead.  They will forever be dead, swallowed up in new life.  What does God have to offer me in place of those two giants?  Well, he gives faith for fear.  Then, he swallows up my judgment in grace.  (What does a faithful grace look like?  Maybe that is something to explore in the future!)

I think a lot of what I have said on this blog is true.  I do believe there are problems in the writing community.  I do think things can be better, and that we ought to be the best we can be.    But if I call myself a follower of Christ, I need focus on myself and my own growth, not criticizing the mistakes of others.  I'm not going to stop posting on here- I believe this is part of the ministry God has given me.  But I hope in the future my posts will have a gentler tone, one more full of grace and the freedom that God brings to all his children.  

As that continues, let me offer you this Scripture:

"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 1:6)

And so he will.

Martyr vs Poser

A Martyr’s Story

A martyr isn’t afraid to weep at injustice instead of just tweeting about it.

A martyr knows the difference between self-pity and the sorrow that comes from a broken heart.

A martyr sees possessions as gifts, not rights.

A martyr weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice.

A martyr realizes he has no rights.

A martyr isn’t afraid to stand for something beyond this world.

A martyr looks at the Bible and is speechless with awe.

A martyr isn’t afraid to say the name of Jesus even in the worst places.

A martyr cares more about his Father’s opinion than those of others.

A martyr knows he is just a beggar telling other beggars where to find bread.

A martyr is a rebel with a cause greater than all others.

A martyr is willing to go the distance, even to the death of his will.

A martyr is a witness of God’s love, even when that love looks like hate to the world.

A martyr lets Scripture read him, not read into Scripture.

A martyr doesn’t just say he is a Christian, but lives like one.

A Poser’s Story

A poser posts something and thinks his work is done.

A poser is ruled by his own self-pity, not the heart of God.

A poser sees only the loss of rights, not the chance for greater joy.

A poser says pretty words, but his heart is not part of it.

A poser thinks that entitlement is next to godliness.

A poser sees only the issues of the world and misses heaven completely.

A poser sees the Bible as a duty, not a joy.

A poser is more worried about reputation than he is about the God who saved him.

A poser has no thought for God’s pleasure, only his own.

A poser thinks he is something in and of himself.

A poser has his causes, limited only to himself.

A poser would rather be comfortable than to die.

A poser takes the world’s definition of love rather than God’s. 

A poser reads into Scripture rather than letting Scripture read him. 

A poser says he is a Christian, but his life proves he is not. 

Which one are you? 

Some people see no room for gray in this.  They would be right, because I am not talking about the struggles of faith and obedience we all face.  Those, everyone on earth has.   I have them and will have them till the day I die.  I am not claiming to be perfect, but I would rather be the first type of person than the second, and I think that is what counts. 

I think the problem is that we see gray where there is no gray.  I think we do Jesus a great, great disservice when we see gray in Scripture when in reality, the gray is very small. I am not saying that the issues are not there.  I do understand some of the questions.  I’ve asked them.  But in the end, we need to let what we know define what we don’t know than let what we don’t know define what we do know.  Let me repeat that.  We let what we know define what we don’t know.  We do not let what we don’t know define what we do know. 

If we read Scripture at face value, as it is meant to be understood, I think we will see some things that are black and white.  And what did Jesus say?  “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy to be my disciple.”  Or how about, “If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father, which is in heaven.”  Or, “Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord, will inherit the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my father who is in Heaven.”  Or, “Whoever does not hate his mother, father, sister or brother for my sake is not worthy of the kingdom.”  Yes, those are paraphrases, but the meaning is clear. 

Sorry.  We can try to twist them but there is no twisting.  I think it is part of the Christian faith that we die to our own desires.  God will never let people abuse his grace for very long before he steps in, especially someone who claims to be a believer.  He will not let his name be mocked and we need to be careful that we don’t mock it.  That seems intolerant, but it is love.  No one would let a great treasure be abused.  Why should God?

In a sense I quite understand the difficulty.   It is hard to freely choose to die.  I’ve faced many hard choices the last few months, none of which I enjoyed.  I could have backed out.  But then I would have lost out on a greater blessing- a closer walk with my Lord and Savior. 

And that is the point!  Forgive my frustration, but that is the point!  We must never lose sight of the fact that no relationship is easy, that it takes obedience and commitment.  This one, the highest in the universe, will take the greatest obedience and commitment of all- a total surrender, including a surrender of the mind!  But the rewards….ah, the rewards we cannot even conceive.  If we try to imagine it, we still fall short.  We will only be able to fall in worship. 

That, that is the martyr’s reward, a paradise that makes Eden look dim and gray. 

Selah. 

P.S.  By world, I don’t mean everything not part of the church.  I speak of the total world system opposed to God, including the selective reading of Scripture, hypocrisy, and hidden sin that is part of many churches.  It may look godly, but it is still an enemy of real goodness. 

My Faith is Mine. Back Off!

It’s been said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  I could include myself there, as I haven’t always learned from the mistakes of others or even my own mistakes.

What does that have to do with faith?  Just this- we stand at a point in our country that has come to another great nation, one that ruled Europe in some form from 509 BC to 1453.  Yes, I am talking about the Roman Empire.  At their turning point, the old gods were on the way out, and two new gods were coming in.   One was Christ.  The other was the emperor.  The conflict between them lasted for 300 years and nearly tore the mightiest empire in the world in half.   Christ won, by the way, but only after oceans of blood had been spilt.  Some say that up to six million Christians gave the ultimate witness.

So what of it?  We stand, I believe, nearly in the same place as ancient Rome.  There are two forces at work in our country- an ever-increasing government and an ever more fiery faith.  Yes, many forces are trying to stamp out the faith.  I don’t have to mention them all.  All I am saying is that the time might come when lukewarm, social faith no longer works, and we will have to say, “Jesus is Lord,” in opposition to “Caesar is Lord.”  Some of  us might have to give the ultimate witness. 

And how will we stand if such times come and the lions close in on the sheep?  Can a single lion take a herd of wildebeest?  No.  But what if one goes off on its own?  That lion has an easy prey.  Listen to me.   I know we in the country preach an individual faith.  And it is.  No one can make that choice to believe but you yourself.  But we were never meant to walk the road of faith alone.  A very dangerous trend that I see is to say that we do not need the church.  All we need is faith, some say. 

I don’t believe so.  I know the church isn’t what it should be.  I get it.  I grew up in the church and I have seen a lot of nastiness that was never meant to be there.  But we still need it.  I’m going to give an example from Lord of the Rings.  Was the Fellowship perfect?  Not even close.  There was disagreement.  There was fighting and blind ambition (on the part of Boromir, anyway).  But it was a fellowship regardless.  Without it, Frodo would have never made it to Mount Doom.  Even Boromir had a part to play. 

So it is with us.  Evil is all around us.  Sauron and Saruman both walk in the world- the evil without and treachery within.  We need fellowship.  We need support and community as Christians.  Our faith is not just our own, but it belongs to all who call the name of Christ.

As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12, we are a body.  (I am the big toe.)  We need each other.  We can’t let disillusionment or bitterness to cause us to run from those who build us up.  Not all churches are evil and not all Christians are hypocrites.  If we are willing, we might find some people that will be the family we never had.  Who else will build us up instead of trying to take us down? So perhaps instead of saying, “Back off!”  we might start saying, “Come on in.”  We might feel better if we do.

P.S.   Never use the faults of a church as an excuse for rebellion.  I am well aware that rebellion is the big thing nowadays.  Rebel against government.  Rebel against religion.  Rebel against big business.  Whatever and whenever, make YOUR voice heard. 

Well,  I have just one thing to say to such people.  If you think cutting yourself off from authority is going to make your life better, you are sadly mistaken.  A society cannot work without a chain of command.  Don’t get me wrong.  It can be better, a lot better.  But it is still necessary if you want to be a part of society, any society. 

If you say, “What about anarchy?”  let me be real.  If you prefer anarchy, go to Somalia or Afghanistan.  Live there for a year, then come back and tell me how you liked it.  Otherwise, work within the system.  Don't try and do your own thing.  Democracy is still the best thing on the political market, in my opinion, and I think most people will agree. 

Next Week- the contrast between a martyr and a hypocrite.