When my first romance novel released in 2010, I took it to a local Christian bookstore only to have the older gentleman in charge tell me that Christians shouldn’t read romance. We should only read about stuff that will change our world, like politics.
My first reaction was to feel sorry for his wife. But then I started questioning the truth of his words. Was I wasting the gifts God had given me? Would my work ever be considered profound? I even started describing LOVE FINDS YOU IN SUN VALLEY, IDAHO as “a silly romance.”
Then I had a silly romance of my own. And it changed my life. Because that’s what love does.
As women, we want to live happily ever after. We want to be treated like princesses. It’s how God created us. If he’s the groom, and we are the bride, then a good Christian romance is going to be symbolic of the kind of relationship Christ wants to have with us.
A loving relationship between husband and wife brings glory to God’s name. It brings healing. It brings peace. It brings joy. Is there anything more profound?
I’ve been touched by reading romance novels. So I contacted the authors of some of my favorite books to learn their thoughts on the subject.
Denise Hunter wrote a Nantucket Love series that doesn’t even mention God. But the beauty and depth of the stories exposed my own longing to be cherished.
“I wanted to write allegories showing the depths of God’s love. The heroes represent Christ and the heroines represent us,” says Denise. “It was my desire to show the way God pursues us, the way he loves us, in a fresh way, much like a parable.”
Another romance that touched me was SWEET CAROLINE by Rachel Hauck, though it might not be considered a traditional romance as the heroine leaves the hero in the end. But how many women today need to hear this kind of story? That romance doesn’t mean settling for less than what God has planned you for. Sometimes love requires letting go.
Rachel explains her own experience romancing the throne this way: “Life will let us down. People will let us down. God will never let us down. I’ve devoted more than a decade to finding my heart and identity in Jesus. I think I’ve embraced I’m His favorite one to such a degree it’s changed my emotional chemistry.”
Last, Deeanne Gist. The author I stand up for when she gets criticized for being too steamy. Some mothers even refuse to let their daughters read her stuff. But oh baby, if you want the next generation to learn the importance of purity, look no further.
My own mom bought me a book in high school to teach me purity. In it the boy character holds up a condom and says, “Is it time for this?” And I was like, “Duh, no.” The boy ended up getting AIDS. I rolled my eyes and forgot the title.
But in Deeanne’s books, the reader will feel the desire. And the reader will experience the devastation when a character makes wrong choices. It clearly separates lust from love for those still learning the true meaning of romance.
Deeanne continues writing from her heart and changing lives. “I believe God can use anybody—even me—and anything—even romance novels—to do His will. He’s a big God and I have learned not to put Him in a small box.”
So it’s okay if I’m a hopeless romantic. It’s okay if I cry at Hallmark commercials. It’s okay that I love listening to Michael Buble. And now I’m excited to let God use that side of me.
What is your experience with romance and love stories?