What Stephen King Taught Me About Repentance
— Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 —
Before you start judging me, I don’t read Stephen King’s horror books, and never have (not that there’s anything wrong with that). In the past year, though, I did read, for the second time, King’s insightful little book on writing, called On Writing.
In the book I came across an anecdote I’d highlighted the first time around that I’d forgotten about. King writes about how he came to see that he had a drinking problem. He denied it at first, he writes, because he could continue to work and be productive, something, he thought, drunks can’t do. King continues:
“Then, in the early eighties, Maine’s legislature enacted a returnable-bottle-and-can law. Instead of going into the trash, my sixteen-ounce cans of Miller Lite started going into a plastic container in the garage. One Thursday night I went out there to toss in a few dead soldiers and saw that this container, which had been empty on Monday night, was now almost full. And since I was the only one in the house who drank Miller Lite…”
It suddenly dawned on King: “I’m an alcoholic, I thought, and there was no dissenting opinion from inside my head…I was, after all, the guy who had written The Shining without even realizing (at least until that night) that I was writing about myself.”
So far as I know King doesn’t claim to be a Christian, and his “recovery” isn’t exactly what the Bible presents as repentance. Nonetheless, the image of something as mundane as a recycling bin full of cans prompting a life-change prompted me to think about the goodness of God in such things, in my own life.
I’m finishing up writing a book on temptation right now, and have been thinking a lot about how hard it is for me to see my own temptations, much less my outright sins. They’re just too close so they seem “normal.”
Drunkenness isn’t my particular point of weakness, but I sure have lots of others. And this anecdote reminded me of how many times God has used something minor to arrest my attention. It usually isn’t a cross in the sky or a vision on the road. But I’ll hear someone speak and think, “Oh man, that sounds like me, and I don’t want to be like that.” Or a conversation will prompt me to think about some stupid parenting maneuver I’ve been attempting. Or my son will pretend to be “Daddy,” and I’ll think, “Hey, that’s not how I want to be remembered by my boys.” Or I’ll stop in the middle of my self-pity and whining to see a sunset that will remind me how good God is to let me view it. And so on.
I’d imagine you can think of similar things in your own life, uncanny little moments that turn you around, back toward the goal of Christ. That’s discipline, though not what we typically think of when we think of discipline. These moments are moments of gentle kindness. And God’s kindness is meant “to lead you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4).
I have read and enjoyed a lot of Stephen King’s writings. I wish all Christian authors would read his book On Writing - it could up the quality of Christian literature immensely if some of his direction was heeded.
I don’t recommend him to a lot of my Christian friends for the same reason that makes you pen “Before you start judging me”. Unfortunately, that immediate response of “judging” is one of the reasons I believe King has few kind words to say about Christians and he often portrays them as either goofy and insubstantial or consumed and mired in evil. His books are not for everyone - but since I first read The Talisman - I have often prayed for God to intercede and bring King into His family. I don’t pray for him as a celebrity trophy for parading - I pray for him because I like him. I really think that King and I could be friends.
I ask that everyone who might be quick to judge - even if you are 100% convinced that your assessment is correct - stop right now and pray for his salvation.
Finding that bin full of bottles or that mirror to reflect is always the first move toward repentance, but so often I run away from those things… so much that they have to hit me fairly hard before I recognize them.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Excellent! God bless you. Can´t wait to read your new book.
I personally enjoy reading Stephen King books. I’ve not read half of them, but the ones I’ve read, I’ve enjoyed. The first one I read was “Needful Things.” Pretty graphic, but it had a good underlying message to it, I think. (Good triumphs over evil.) There was a sub-plot in it of Catholics and Baptists (I’m pretty sure, I could be wrong, but I believe it was those denominations) of getting into an all-out war with each other. Seriously. Made me stop and think about how I act toward people in different denominations.
Anyway, thanks, Dr. Moore for posting these thoughts. That’s definitely a wonderful anecdote of Mr. King’s and also very prevalent thoughts of your own. You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about. What sin-filled trash cans are in my life?
I remember a Sunday morning just a few years ago that I was racing to church with an attitude of pride. I was stopped by a policeman who said I’d done a “rolling stop” through the three way stop en-route. I don’t think why people understood my tears of joy at a $110. ticket and 3 demerit points - but I knew it was God’s gift - arresting me on my way and melting some of the wall of pride that had been building.
He is so good and merciful.
I’ve read most of On Writing and agree with you that King’s book is a very useful resource - if you can get past the language and crassness.
“And this anecdote reminded me of how many times God has used something minor to arrest my attention. It usually isn’t a cross in the sky or a vision on the road. But I’ll hear someone speak and think, “Oh man, that sounds like me, and I don’t want to be like that.”
Amen! I’ve been undone by the smallest afterthoughts said by others or from a momentary glance at a passage in Scripture I’ve read a hundred times before. Great post.
Brad
On Writing is very good, at least what I’ve read so far. By the way, a recent Writer’s Digest article had a joint interview with Stephen King and Jerry Jenkins about their unlikely friendship. Who knows, maybe King will yet join the family.