A Taste of Catholic Fiction Part 3
Why would someone want to read an allegory?
Photo By: Flickr/Dan
I really get that allegory isn't that popular. When people find out I've written a book, they're pretty interested... until I utter the word "allegory." And then suddenly there's the pink elephant in the room--that unspoken question--"why would anyone want to read an allegory?"
I can't answer the question for anyone else... but I can tell you why I write allegory. I love Jesus very much. But, most of the time, I feel ten zillion miles away from Him. I can't hear His voice, can't see Him, can't talk to Him like I would a real person, and sometimes can't feel a thing for Him.
But then I write allegory. And through the Arrow Bringer (the Christ figure), Jesus becomes a real person to me. He's kind, gentle, sometimes funny, always understanding, and, above all, merciful. The words that the Arrow Bringer speaks to my characters are words He speaks to me. They're comfort when I'm struggling with the same thing my characters are going through. They're a reminder that Jesus is with me and loves me.
Yes, the Arrow Bringer is an allegory. But it's a fantasy, too. An adventure. A romance novel. A story about never giving up. It's a story about what it means to be human, and that in this crazy, messy, world, no matter how much we screw up, Jesus is there.
Is it sometimes preachy? Probably. But it preaches about Jesus' love. It preaches about Jesus' mercy.
It preaches that, no matter what we do, nothing, nothing, nothing, could ever separate us from the untold love of Jesus Christ.
And that's a message I need to hear. That's the love of Jesus that got me through the hardest times of my life, the love that still gets me through now.
So... why would anyone want to read an allegory? I guess... because it's a way to connect with Jesus, to see Him as a real person. And, hopefully, it's a way to hear (the best I can understand), the reason that bad things happen. And that, above all, we are never alone.
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About the Author
Lisa Mayer loves Jesus and his people very much. She takes to heart, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."
She loves her husband Rich and her furbaby, Scooby. She loves her family and friends. She loves writing. In her free time, you'll find her curled up in her superhero pajamas binge-watching her favorite TV shows or movies, catching up on her reading list, or playing Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. She loves bike-riding, adventures and traveling. She crosses something off my bucket list every year.
She’s a total nerd and not afraid to be different. She has anxiety and OCD and is a proud mental health warrior who wants to break the stigma of mental health.
She writes because she loves it, but most of all because she loves Jesus and her readers. She hopes her books will reflect who she is: someone who wants to inspire others and make a difference. She hopes they give you a serious case of the feels, and that they make you laugh. Most of all, she hopes they help you know just how much Jesus loves you.
She is the author of The Aletheian Journeys: The Arrow Bringer, which will be released by Write Integrity Press, LLC on 3-19-19.
links: www.lisarmayer.com
Facebook: AuthorLisaRMayer
Twitter: LisaRMayer2019
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