writing belief

I think, if someone was to describe me, they would say that I am very religious and I suppose that would be a true statement. I take what I believe very seriously and although I will not beat someone over the head if they believe something contrary, I also will not change my mind. (And I feel very sad when they are so far off.)

Because of my belief, I rest on the Sabbath (Friday night – Saturday night), I eat kosher, and I celebrate the Jewish festivals. No, I’m not Jewish per se, because I believe in Jesus (or Yeshua) as the messiah, but I follow the Jewish traditions as well. If anyone is curious, it’s generally called Messianic.

Why is this relevant? Because one would think that with what I believe so important to me, that it would leak over into my writing, somewhere. The fact is, except at the very beginning when I felt that it had to, it never really has.

I’m not sure why this is. This isn’t some recent conversion; I’ve grown up in at least a Christian home for my whole life. (My religious history is rather unique  and is not a topic for this blog.) And it isn’t that I’m ashamed or don’t believe it that strongly. Even if I was to consider that I generally want to write secular books, there should be a way to place at least some of the characters as at least Christians without making it the kind of book that is preaching at you. I just don’t write it in.

I can’t say that it will always be that way. For the longest time I’ve been tossing around an allegorical story around in my head. But I’m not going to put in it because, to be quite honest, I don’t know how. How is one to write into his/her story a character without having him be a fanatic but yet having the reader know? (Because, to be quite honest, except for how I dress, you would not know it about me unless we got into a theological debate or you asked.)

My mom asked me recently how do I see my belief playing out in my story and although I do not have religious characters, I do see it. First of all, my characters are generally rather moral. I won’t go as far as to say that they won’t lie, but they don’t generally get drunk (exception of Darkness Swallows, which was necessary, although I have no clue if I got it accurate), they don’t do a lot of things that I see a lot of other people do. Also, call me silly, but I cannot have my characters eat pork. (I’m commanded not to.) But I think that may also be along the lines of I can’t have my character’s favorite food be something I hate. Lastly, they don’t swear and if they do, it’s something mild.

I just find it interest that for everything that i believe, I don’t write anything about it.