I started Reclaiming Literature Press for two reasons: 1. To publish my debut novel 2. To start a brand that, I pray, will grow over time and will come to represent the necessity of Christians’ creating literature that glorifies Christ by dealing with real issues in a quality manner.

Obviously, the first reason for my starting the publishing company is organizational and professional. Having a book (or books, in the future, Lord willing) listed under an established company appears much more professional than one(s) listed under my name as the publisher. Also, for recording and taxing purposes, by owning the company, I’m able to consolidate transactions in one place, saving myself future headaches. 

However, for our purposes here (and far more significantly important – I’d say eternally so), I will focus on the second reason listed above, namely I wanted to start a brand that, I pray, will grow over time and will come to represent the necessity of Christians’ creating literature that glorifies Christ by dealing with real issues in a quality manner. 

There are several biblical truths out of which this purpose statement grew. 

First of all, as Saint Paul declares in Romans 11:33-36 and Ephesians 1:8b-10 (see below), everything is moving to Christ and finds its fulfillment in Him. 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things [emphasis mine]. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36).

In all wisdom and insight, He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth [emphasis mine] (Ephesians 1:8b-10).

What are the implications of such all-consuming declarations? 

I’m not going to begin to suggest that I can unpack the full implications of the glorious truths revealed to us in the aforementioned passages, as, in the former one, even Saint Paul himself states that, at the end of the day, God’s ways are so grand that they are ultimately unfathomable. 

However, one truth I can deduce is, every single thing in heaven and earth is meant to bring glory to Christ and to point to Him, and without Him at the center of all we do, what we do accomplish loses its significance. 

Allow me to quickly respond to one objection I know some will have. No, when I say that everything's meant to point to Christ, I’m not suggesting that every single thing has to have a Bible verse on it or an overtly Christian message proclaimed through it. For example, in our context here, I don’t believe that every novel has to be set within a religious setting or have a church service or even mention the Name of Christ. However, I do believe that stories should handle present issues in a redemptive way of some kind and declare truth. Every character doesn’t have to “get saved” (a phrase that leaves a sour taste in my Anglican mouth as I type it), but I do believe that elements of truth’s being victorious over falsehood, hope, redemption, etc. should be present, as they clearly provide a way to lead to a discussion about Christ – and we know that such things are only possible in and through Christ Himself. For other contexts, such as an office worker, he or she should complete daily tasks and interact with coworkers and management in a way that points to Christ and reveals a holy life (A discussion for another time is my belief that living life with the Eucharist at the center of all things will help us do this. Again, though, that’s for later.). 

Further, if it’s true that everything is meant to point to Christ (and it is), the things that are produced should be of the highest quality possible. This is not an arrogant assertion on my part, as if I’m saying that everything I’ve written so far (or will write) reaches such a level of quality that it, without question, glorifies Christ and is worthy to be considered a fulfillment of Saint Paul’s declarations. I know there are errors in what I’ve written – despite the number of hours and rounds of edits through which my work goes. Again, though, Christians should always strive to produce exceptional work, not settling for mediocrity, for it’s God Almighty whom we are serving, the Maker and Creator of all things – to whom all things are moving toward and for whose glory all things exist. 

Continuing, every man and woman, whether he or she acknowledges it or not, is created in the image of God, and as a result, just as his or her Maker is, he or she is inherently a creative being. Hopefully, those who submit to the Lordship of Christ are seeking to glorify in what they create. However, naturally, as is to be expected, there are plenty of creators in this world who use their creativity for selfish and worldly ends. They (as every Christian does from time to time) shout out, as Psalm 2 states, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” 

Before arriving at the main point, I have one more preliminary point to make. Allow me to quote Psalm 1:1-3. 

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers.

This passage is, by no means, making a case for the so-called Prosperity Gospel, which is no true Gospel. However, it is a glorious promise from our LORD that, as we pursue righteousness, which is only found in Christ, He will bless what we do. Now, we should not try to implement stipulations on God as to how He chooses to prosper what we do, but we should rest in His eternal faithfulness to keep His promises and trust what we do into His hands. 

Now, finally, I arrive at the main point. 

With all that I’ve said so far, I’d like to elaborate briefly on the second reason I listed at the start of this article. 

I want the entertainment industry to glorify Christ, and that includes written words used for entertainment, and if we consider the caution the Israelites used in the Old Testament period to approach God, and the price that Christ paid to give us bold access to the Father, it’s all the more imperative that the creative endeavors we undertake as an offering to God are high quality.

I am not suggesting that, if one person has more grammatical and syntactical skills and are able to employ that in their novels in objectively stronger ways than someone else, that the more trained writer inherently glorifies God more than the untrained writer. It is very clear that someone of lower skill can glorify God much more than someone more trained in the art of writing if the former truly submits himself or herself to Christ and is writing for Him, while the latter is only seeking self-service.

However, my argument here is, we should not simply crank out material “in the Name of Christ”. We should understand in Whose Name we are working and Whose Name we are proclaiming, and strive to produce the absolute best quality material we can. Further, I’m not suggesting that, if your grammatical and syntactical skills are subpar, you have an excuse to not seek to improve them, simply “because I’m just not good at writing, but I can still glorify God”. Yes, you can still glorify God when your grammatical and syntactical skills are weaker, but remember, you are working in the service of your God, and I implore you to strengthen those skills, so the quality of your work will continue to improve. 

At the end of the day, it’s such a comfort to know that our Lord is mindful that we are dust (c.f., Psalm 103:14), and He still delights in our weak offerings to Him (c.f., Psalm 149:4).

(As an aside: For your own consideration, I encourage you to dwell on the implications of the truth that Christ Himself is the Word (c.f., John 1) and how that should affect our use of words.)

Also, since there are many men and women created in the image of God who are currently producing literature that is void of Christ – and, in fact, is in direct opposition of Him and the Truth found in Him, as all truth is from Him (c.f., John 14:6), we, as Christian artists, must reclaim literature for the glory of Christ, producing that which glorifies Him and proclaims truth. 

Finally, to tie this discussion in with Psalm 1:1-3 (and the inspiration of the green tree springing out of the book on the logo), as we seek to glorify Christ and reclaim literature for His glory, based on God’s faithfulness to always keep His promises, I know He will bless our endeavors. 

So, brother or sister in Christ, strive to honor Christ in all you do, and if you’re a writer, please join me in reclaiming literature for the glory of our Lord!