One of the most challenging aspects of writing a Christian fiction, namely one dealing with factual people from the Bible, is the research. I learned just how challenging it is, not just to do the research, but also how hard it is to decipher and reconcile research and then turn it into a fiction story without corrupting the message intended in Scripture.
Researching Naomi and Ruth for Great Is His Faithfulness was daunting to me. There is plenty of context for much of the Book of Ruth, but even among theologians, the story of Ruth was rife with nuanced conflict and interpretation. Thankfully, none of the discussion changed the message of Ruth. All the controversy dealt with timing, genealogy, placement within the Old Testament – none of which merits question of the message itself.
Now I get to research a woman that even less is known about, and some of what is known is shadowed by centuries of disdain, blame, and disappointment.
I get to research Eve. The mother of humankind. The first daughter of God. The first wife. The first mother. The first homemaker. The first seamstress. The first cook. The first songwriter. The first babysitter. The first grandmother. The first of everything any woman in history has inherently been, or could ever hope to be, in the future. Some praise her for her firsts. Some ridicule her. Some fight against nature itself to be as far removed from her as they can. Very few embrace the woman she was and the example she set.
Even I, finally beginning to learn more about her, realize how much of her story I have taken for granted. Here is the first woman of earth. This miraculous creation built from a piece of another miraculous creation. Here is the woman who is the mother of all mankind: of every race, of every culture, of every man, woman, and child to have ever blessed this world with their soul. But I had taken her story, compressed it into the longevity of her very first mistake, and that has been my knowing of Eve.
I am ashamed of that.
Now, I speculate a lot, of course, but in the process of speculation comes the danger of seeing things that were never there, while missing out on what was there to see all along.
My hope and prayer as I step into this journey is to re-discover Eve and to build a narrative about her for you. Lord willing, I do her testimony justice. But first I must dig deep. Starting with the Bible, I will start cross-referencing, comparing, and studying translations. Once I have found every Biblical reference to her, then I will tap into other resources. Commentaries. Maps. World history. Accounts from other religions. And so on.
I sincerely hope He helps me write this one, and I pray He gives me the courage to tell her story as boldly as it should be for the first woman of our world.
If you would like to be part of the process, I invite you to join my Christian Fiction team.
If you are not familiar with my Christian Fiction, I’d be honored if you read Great Is His Faithfulness.