Easter and the True Myth
"The story of the Incarnation is the story of a Descent and Resurrection."
Despite my original plans to tackle more genre-related content in this month’s edition, I had nearly forgotten that Easter falls on March 31st this year. So, instead of doing a Resurrection-themed post in early April, I’m postponing my examination on the Western genre an extra month to focus on a more timely topic.
Now that Holy Week is upon us, it made more sense to me that this edition of Further Up & Further In would center on the literal “reason for the season.” As such, I hope you enjoy the Musing that follows and stick around for the exciting updates I have for you in the Writer’s Workshop section.
When it comes to stories, none are greater than those chronicling true events and real-life heroes. Sure, superheroes are fun to watch fly around in bright costumes and put an end to the schemes of crazed villains with giant death bots, but when we hear true stories of perseverance, loyalty, sacrifice, and redemption, we cannot help but be stirred within our spirits.
Those types of stories change us, inspire us, and challenge us to grow.
They inspire us to be better. To greatness.
Perhaps this is the reason why the story of Jesus Christ, and the events of Easter in particular, is considered “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” There is no other tale, no other historical event, and no other myth (true or false) that has quite the same power as the story of Christ. Two thousand years later, the good news still changes lives, transforms hearts, and ushers its hearers into songs of redemption and salvation. Christmas might be the most popular of the two major Christian holidays, centered around giving gifts in honor of the true Gift Giver, but Easter is by far the most important.
Yes, it’s necessary that Jesus was born in a manger, but it’s even more vital that He died on a cross. Of course, even that isn’t the end of the story.
As we enter Holy Week (the time between Palm Sunday and Easter), we can be distracted by the general busyness of life and circumstances. Spring is coming yes, which means all dead things will be made new. But as we watch the world change around us, it might behoove us to reflect on the One who set up our world this way in the first place.
Whether you call it Easter or Resurrection Sunday, Jesus’ triumph over the grave after willingly being ushered to His death is an event unlike any other. While plenty of pagan myths and traditions have resurrection stories of their own, the difference is always that Jesus, the God-man, used His own power to be restored to life. More than that, the story of Jesus is rooted in history and truth rather than simple myth.
As the true Son of God1, Christ is the only one who can (1) redeem a sinful and broken people, (2) die a truly unjustified death2, (3) defeat the Devil without engaging in physical combat, and (4) bring Himself back from the dead in a glorified state “more powerful than we could ever imagine.”
C.S. Lewis may have explained it best when he said the following…
“Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths. . . Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things.'”
The reason purely man-made religion so often fails is because there’s no true power in it. Cults and religious sects come and go because no truth holds them there. Abstract ideas about spirituality and faith have no definite order or purpose, and thus can hardly be considered anything more than a lifestyle. But with Christianity, God removed Himself from His highest estate in Heaven and came to Earth as a man to reconcile us rebels to Him (Philippians 2:5-7).
The truth is that God doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He desires no one to be lost eternally. Hell wasn’t something He created for us, but rather for the Devil and his angels that rebelled in the beginning (Matthew 25:41). Those of us whom He created in His image, He wants us to be saved from that same fate. He wants us to turn from our wicked ways (be them the little white lies or lifestyles of gluttonous abundance) and repent of our sins.
He wants us to choose to love Him. After all, what is Heaven but delighting in God’s own presence? What is Paradise but endless worship of the Almighty?
That’s why Jesus died, and why everyone who lives must answer His age-old question: “Who do you say that I Am?”
Who do you say that He is?
Tomorrow is promised to no one, so we must decide today who we will serve (Proverbs 27:1, James 4:13-15, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2). For some, that’s an easy question to answer. For others, it takes time and thought. But avoiding the question entirely is an answer in and of itself3, and one that will hold you accountable in the end.
This week’s musing is admittedly a bit heavy-handed, but that’s sort of the point. Easter is a time of celebration, of remembrance. There’s a reason why Jesus was crucified around the Jewish Passover, and why even to this day many Christians remember what God did for Israel in the Old Testament. But the Exodus story is only a precursor, a shadow, to the greatest story, in which Jesus Christ delivers us from death to life, from sin to salvation, and showers us with grace in the process.
No, Christians are (sadly) not instantly made perfect. We too fall short, just like anyone else. But the difference is that we’re forgiven. We have accepted that free gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers, not because of anything we’ve done, but because it is finished in Him. On that first Good Friday, He died, taking the punishment that we deserved for our wrongdoings. And on that first Easter Sunday, He rose from the dead, completing the work He was sent to do, allowing us too to be reborn in Him.
Because of that, we too will one day be made perfect. When Christ does return (and He will), we will see that Rider on the White Horse re-establish His glorified Kingdom here on Earth. Until then, all we can do is live faithfully in sharing this good news, allow the Holy Spirit to work to reform our hearts, and earnestly pray the words He taught us all those years ago.
“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, here on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Let it be so this Easter.
I understand that many of you are only here for the Writer’s Workshop section, and that’s okay! I’m happy to have you here no matter which part of this newsletter you prefer. I’m excited to better examine the Western genre next month, but as a little foretaste, I have some exciting news for you here.
Last month I mentioned that my short story, Standoff at the Gates of Hell, had been accepted into a speculative fiction literary magazine. Well, I can now officially announce that the magazine in question is none other than Silence & Starsong. This magazine aims to “inspire wonder and awe through stories of high strangeness,” often in the same vein as J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, Edgar Rice Burrows, G.K. Chesterton, and C.S. Lewis.
Sounds right up my alley, doesn’t it?
You can read S&S’s official announcement HERE, but I’ll share with you the logline for this upcoming adventure…
Shane Cassidy agrees to help the people of Driftwood recover their stolen payroll, but to do so he must ride out alone into the Valley of the Shades.
If that sounds fun to you, then don’t miss the next issue of Silence & Starsong (coming Spring 2024)! I will keep you all updated on when and where to buy as I learn more. Once it’s released, I’ll share a little more about my inspirations for Standoff at the Gates of Hell, and my process in shifting away from The Bear-tooth Mountain Archive for this action-packed tale.
In addition to Silence & Starsong publishing my Western story, I also submitted a (super) short to their January Flash Fiction contest. While this story, titled Dead of Night, didn’t win, it was listed as an honorable mention by the literary mag––who even published on their website a few weeks ago.
Dead of Night was one of the easiest short stories for me to write. Maybe it was because of the distinct 1,000-word limit or the parameters the competition set in place, but the words just flew off the page as I was imagining them. Based on my own experience with night terrors, I wrote Dead of Night in first person to capture the true horror of sleep paralysis in a way that would feel both personal and intrusive. While I am not the main character, my own experience was the basis for the events.
Dead of Night can be read for free HERE. Let me know what you all think!
Lastly, my historical fiction Western, The Devil’s Left Hand4, is finished. Another short story, this one tackles a piece of Montana history that many don’t know a whole lot about. While my main character is fictional, everyone else was a real person who existed in the 1864 Old West, which was both a fun and challenging exercise. Researching all of the history behind this strange and violent time was one of my favorite parts of compiling the necessary bones for this tale, which takes small liberties with the actual events.
Hopefully, I will have an update for you next month on the publishing future of The Devil’s Left Hand. I have submitted it to an up-and-coming Western-themed literary magazine for consideration and have been informed that they are in the process of reviewing my over 10,000-word narrative. Hopefully, they’ll be willing to publish it, but if not, we will brainstorm that project’s future together!
Oh, and for those still wondering about the future of The Bear-tooth Mountain Archive: fear not, more is coming! A few more ideas have been bouncing around in my noggin lately, but I have largely taken a break from that world in favor of some other projects. While I’m not giving up on Rev. Jude Anthony, Jordan, Deon, or the others (far from it), taking some time away after two-ish years with those characters has been nice.
Though, I’m sure they’ll be returning soon…
This month’s Petty Picks are as follows…
WHAT I’M READING: The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel — Strobel might be most well known for his rigorous examination of the historical truth of the Christian faith in his masterwork The Case for Christ, but for those interested in the basics, The Case for Easter is the perfect primer for you. In less than 100 easy-to-read pages (which I blew through in an afternoon while the Little Miss napped), Strobel examines why we can trust that Jesus died on a cross, proves that the tomb was discovered empty, and notes that the resurrection is the only logical conclusion we can come to. Given the holiday, this is a timely read!
WHAT I’M WATCHING: Field of Dreams — We don’t watch the Oscars in the Petty house, but after John Mulaney’s rant about Field of Dreams went viral, Hannah noted she’d never seen the Kevin Costner film. Since I hadn’t seen it since I was a kid (though I remembered loving it), we watched it the other night. I’m not lying when I tell you that I was blown away by how well the picture held up, and I was delighted to return to the cornfields again for some good, old-fashioned baseball. Honestly, Field of Dreams made me want to get back into the sport again (I was a massive White Sox fan growing up), and for that reason alone, “I love Field of Dreams, that should win Best Picture!”
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: 3:10 to Yuma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Marco Beltrami — The 2007 3:10 to Yuma remake is one of my favorite movies of all time. Its excellent casting, high stakes, and clear Western flair (not to mention James Mangold’s impeccable direction) welcome me in every time, but one of the things I like most about the film is its soundtrack. In writing all these Westerns lately, Marco Beltrami’s score has helped me to better focus. I have a hard time writing while listening to anything, but a good movie score can often do the trick. “Bible Study” is probably my favorite track on the album, but the whole thing is spectacular.
FURTHER PETTY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson — I noted my love of the Western series Longmire last week, and I’ve been writing plenty about the television show for Collider these past few months. So, it’s no wonder I’ve been diving back into Craig Johnson’s original mystery novels. But Wait for Signs isn’t a novel, it’s actually a collection of twelve Sheriff Walt Longmire-themed short stories that are all pretty excellent. Thus far, “Thankstaking” might be my favorite, but “Ministerial Aid” and “Divorce Horse” are up there. Many of these stories center around the holidays, but all are well worth the time.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe — After not having watched the second X-Files movie in years (which is more of a standalone story), I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it after so much time. Originally, I hated that the movie didn’t feature the alien mythology plotline popularized on the show, but after some careful consideration, I Want to Believe expertly explores themes of forgiveness and faith in a way that honors the original TV show. Check it out if you’re into crime thrillers, spooky mysteries, and redemption stories.
The Twilight Zone episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” - This fan-favorite episode of the original Twilight Zone was the first one I ever remember seeing and it stuck with me for years. Recently, I revisited this Richard Matheson-penned/Richard Donner-directed masterpiece, and it still holds up. William Shatner was a perfect cast as the leading man, and none of the remakes (which I recently wrote about) have been able to do better than what the original Rod Serling series did before. This is a classic worth revisiting, and what’s better is that it originally started as a short story!
More literally, the Word of God made flesh, meaning that Christ is God Himself in human form.
This isn’t to say that people today cannot die unjustifiable deaths. They can, and people suffer those fates all the time. But what it does mean is that, as a sinless human being, Jesus should never have died in the first place. Death itself wasn’t something He deserved, thus making any death He might have suffered unjustified in nature.
And not a good one. If you aren’t a child of God, the Apostle John notes that you’re a child of the Devil (1 John 3:9-10).
Yes, that’s a reference to the Johnny Cash tune “Devil’s Right Hand.”