Page 37 - November-December Together

TOGETHER NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2021
Literature that

changes the world

‘The content we create has the power to
change the world.’

I first heard this snappy slogan in a talk by one owner to another, eventually ending ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN WRITERS
producer, Tobi Olujinmi, referring to her time up with the brutal Simon Legree, who
working for MBC Media, and it hit me hard. It out of repulsion at Tom’s godliness ends
should be a lesson to all Christians working up killing him. It is a controversial book,
in writing, publishing, media and bookselling. especially in its depiction of black people,
If we don’t get good content out there in the yet it was hugely popular, selling 300,000
world then other sources will be the overriding copies in the USA and 1.5 million copies in
influence. That’s not just talk, it’s a reality. Great Britain in its first year of publication.
Our media-saturated world today reminds Stowe wrote after seeing the injustices
us that it’s not the quantity of information of the slave system and based on
available that’s the problem but the sources of her knowledge and awareness as an
our information. For example, studies around abolitionist. She was especially furious at
Covid vaccine hesitancy show that widespread the Fugitive Slave Law passed in 1850,
disinformation such as Covid-19 being a hoax which required everyone to catch alleged
has led to a significant decline in intent to fugitive slaves and would punish those
receive the vaccines. who aided them. She believed slavery was
i
unjust and immoral, and was incensed Katherine Blessan
If this ability to influence in an unhelpful way that this law required citizens to be
can be seen in the supposedly objective fields complicit in this injustice .
iii
of science and health, how much more will it be
experienced in the area of cultural values where Uncle Tom’s Cabin with its vivid characters and fantasies. My parents read all seven Narnia
everything is subjective? portrayal of their struggles opened the eyes Chronicles to me as a child. Even today, I
of many to the injustices of the slave system. remember the conversation I had with them
Influencing for the good It encouraged others to speak out against the in our living room about Aslan and his death
When reading a recent Media Associates injustices of slavery, paving the way for the representing Jesus and His death on the
International (MAI) email update, I was Civil War (1861-65) which led to the official cross. I loved the books and read them over
delighted to learn that a small publisher in end of slavery in the USA. When Stowe visited and over again, immersing myself in the
Uganda had successfully won a bid to have President Lincoln at the White House in 1862, colourful world and characters.
a Christian author’s novel – Grief Child by he is reported to have said, ‘So you’re the little
Laurence Darmani – studied as a required woman who wrote the book that started this I was raised in the Russian Orthodox church –
and although I didn’t always get a full picture
ii
literature text in Ugandan schools . This is a great war.’ This statement testifies to Uncle of the gospel message in a church context, I
huge achievement! It’s the equivalent of an Tom’s Cabin’s impact . fully believe that the Narnia books opened my
iv
Instant Apostle novel becoming a GCSE English The Chronicles of Narnia by eyes to the beauty, joy and adventure of the
Literature set text. ‘It could never happen here,’ C. S. Lewis (1950-56) Christian faith. I usually mention them when
I hear you mumble. Really? How about if each C. S. Lewis’ novels have had a similar reach sharing my testimony. Several years later as
of us prayed specifically for the spreading of with more than 100 million copies of his series an MA English literature student, I wrote my
good Christian fiction and promoted it boldly being sold worldwide, and have spawned dissertation on the Narnia Chronicles – a
to our circles so that such cultural influence several TV and film versions as well as theatre culmination of the chance to explore the
could become a reality?
productions. Rather than talking about global impact of the books.
To illustrate the way in which a good Christian impact here, I’m going to focus on one person’s Even books that aren’t bestsellers can have an
book can influence readers, I’m going to individual response to the books – my own. impact. Let’s pray for the widening impact of
provide two case studies from different time It’s a personal tale, but similar to many other Christian books and novels to change hearts
periods and nations. Both examples given readers who have been impacted by Lewis’ and minds for the kingdom.
were bestsellers reaching the widest
possible market.
Katherine Blessan is the Overseas Support officer for ACW. Her first novel, Lydia’s Song, was
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1862) – by Harriet published by Instant Apostle in 2014 and she’s trying to find a home for her second two
Beecher Stowe novels. She is also a screenwriter. Katherine writes stories that touch on social issues and
In the great 19th century tradition, Harriet explore the space where cultures cross.
Beecher Stowe’s epic novel was written to
expose the cruelty of slavery in pre-civil war i https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01056-1
USA. It is a powerful story of interlinking ii https://littworld.org/elevating-local-authors-in-uganda/
threads, but with the eponymous Uncle Tom, iii https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/harriet-beecher-stowe/uncle-toms-cabin/
a godly slave, at the centre. Tom is sold from iv https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/harriet-beecher-stowe/her-global-impact/
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