The Hidden Treasure of Fiction

Written By Lori G. Melton

“Now the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him (Jesus). But the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them …” Luke 15:1-3 NIV

(Click here to listen to the interview or here to watch it on YouTube)

Hey friends,

Welcome back to Ep 7 of the Sanctuary Stirrings Fall Series--and the first of three fascinating interviews about the gifts for our spiritual formation that the Lord has waiting for us in fiction, fantasy, and poetry reading.

I’ve been thinking a lot about words lately, how the Bible calls Jesus “the Word” in John 1:1, and what jewels might be buried in each genre that we may have overlooked.

Like the parable of the treasure buried in a field, the Lord has been hiding jewels for those wise enough to look for them since the beginning of time.

From what I’ve observed, most people, including me, gravitate toward one type of reading and stay there.

If you’re naturally drawn to non-fiction, you go from one “how-to” book to another. If you love fiction, there are never enough good stories. If fantasy is your thing, you’re as happy as can be exploring countless imaginary worlds.

What if, instead of reading the same type of book year after year, you opened the door to the nourishment of the others? Like filling your plate with only steak for dinner, how much healthier and happier would you be if you added a salad, potato, steamed broccoli, and dessert and feasted on them all?

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Expanding My Palate

This experiment began for me at the beginning of the year.

In the summer of 2025, the Spirit nudged me to “read more fiction,” and I wrestled with that prompting. I’d always seen reading fiction as a waste of time. But my conversation with my guest on this week’s podcast, fiction author K.C. Ireton, changed that--when she pointed out that Jesus often used stories to communicate truth.

When the crowd asked Jesus about the heavenly kingdom, He didn’t answer them in a non-fiction way, saying, “Here are the five points of what the kingdom of heaven is like…”

Instead, he encapsulated the truth within a story … “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, yeast in a lump of flour, or a pearl of great price.”

When the people asked Jesus what God was like and what He required of them, He answered with a story … about a son who squandered his inheritance, a man traveling on a road who was beaten and robbed, and ten virgins waiting for their bridegroom.

K.C. convinced me even further when she pointed out that the Bible--from Genesis to Revelation--is one long story!

When my eyes were finally opened, I regretted that it took me 58 years to see, but then couldn’t get to it quickly enough!

​The Stories That Shape Our Souls: The Gift of Fiction in our Spiritual Formation with K.C. Ireton​

Choosing My First Book

I jumped in as a part of my giant journey with George MacDonald, who wrote over 30 fiction novels. With no idea which one to choose, I asked the JWAG Facebook group for their recommendations. Right away, my friend Kirston told me about The Baronet’s Song, which her English prof had assigned her students to read each year.

This couldn’t have been a more perfect choice.

With the innocent orphan Sir Gibbie Gilbraith as the main character, his pure heart spoke to me about living well, spreading generosity, love, and forgiveness even when you are dealt a bad hand, just as I was grappling with my mother’s end-of-life decline.

I’ll never forget my long walks on the beach, thinking about Gibbie, the suffering in the world, and the pain of my mother’s story. And praying that God would help her and me to live well no matter what life may steal or withhold from us.

Reading this book didn’t fix everything. But it reached places in my heart that I’m not sure a nonfiction book could have.

Change Isn't Easy

Even so, reading fiction wasn’t easy. I think I spent half of my first reading of The Baronet’s Song with my mind still resisting, needing to be convinced this was a good use of my time, before I relaxed and began to receive it.

That’s ok. God’s not in a hurry, and we don’t need to be either. All He asks is that we stay prayerful, willing, and diligent. Remember, only those who search find the treasure in the field, and they keep searching, and searching, until they find it.

Then, no one can take it away.

The Next Exciting Step

Now, my next perfectly-timed book is right in front of me!

I first interviewed K.C. about the gift of reading fiction five months ago, thinking I would release the episode right away. But technology issues, summer plans, and shifting schedules got in the way.

There are no mistakes with God, only divinely appointed plans, with Him orchestrating every detail. Miraculously, after all the frustrations, delays, and setbacks, her interview will drop today, the very week her new non-fiction book, This Shore of Light: A Novel, is released into the world, and it's in my hands!

I was captivated by the prologue and first chapter on her website, and I can’t wait to see how God will shape me through this treasure.

I'm Curious to Hear from You!

What has your literary journey looked like? Do you have a favorite genre, or have you enjoyed exploring a variety of them? Is there one you've never ventured into?

Email me your answers, and I'll enter your name in a drawing for a FREE copy of K.C.'s new book, The Shores of Light!

Worth Noticing:

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Worth Pondering:

“There was a time, … when I believed that reading was an act of information gathering… The reading of .. The Brothers Karamazov, first published in Russian in 1880, changed that equation forever. It was Dostoevsky’s final novel in which he wrestled most powerfully with eternal questions of God’s presence, God’s absence, morality, suffering and more” … and “late at night weeping almost uncontrollably.”

--Jeff Crosby, The World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading

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So thankful to be journeying together,
Lori

Lori G. Melton
Next

I Think I May Be Addicted to Noise