In a recent appearance on CBN’s Faith and Culture, bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins delivered an inspiring word to aspiring Christian writers: never lose sight of the power of story, and the calling behind it.
Jenkins, best known for co-authoring the Left Behind series and more recently novelizing The Chosen television show, emphasized that storytelling is not only central to his craft, but deeply rooted in divine design.
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“I think God is the greatest storyteller ever,” Jenkins said. “It’s something that really sinks with human beings so well and so deeply.”
He pointed to the universal appeal of narrative, noting how even during sermons or lectures, “when a preacher says, ‘I was talking to a man the other day,’ you see people lean forward… They perk up. It’s like we’re going to hear a story, a true story that happened.”
For writers seeking to use their gifts for the glory of God, Jenkins offered both a challenge and an assurance: “If Christian writing gets criticized, it’s that people will say, ‘Well, it’s a sermon masquerading as a story.’ If you make that too obvious, it’s clunky and it doesn’t work.”
Yet Jenkins doesn’t shy away from embedding his faith within every page he pens. “My worldview, no matter what story I’m telling, is one of hope. I don’t hide from it. I don’t apologize for it. I believe as difficult as this world is and all the complications we have today, in the end there’s victory. There’s success. There’s heaven. There’s, you know, God wins.”
For Jenkins, writing has never been about fitting into a genre box or pleasing trends. His focus is clear: “When somebody reads one of my books, if they have any insight and can read between the lines, they’re going to see my theme, my life, my interest is sharing my faith and honoring God and exhibiting a life story, a worldview of hope.”
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To Christian writers wondering whether their words can make a difference in a noisy and often dark world, Jenkins’ decades-long legacy offers a bold reminder: “I’ve made my life living in ministry on the fact that people want stories.”
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
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