Question: Philangelus, you talk about angels an awful lot. Have you ever seen an angel?
Answer: No. I have never knowingly seen an angel.
Question: Are you hedging?
Answer: Look, I’m not going to say I’m 100% sure I’ve *never* seen an angel. The Bible says people entertain angels unawares, so that possibility remains open. And I’ve dreamed about angels, but I’ve also dreamed about the characters from Battle of the Planets.
Have I ever looked up from prayer to see myself facing a commanding presence with wings who begins with “Do not be afraid”? No.
Question: But you say you talk to them. Sometimes there are conversations in this weblog.
Answer: I talk to God too, and I’ve never seen Him. This is the same thing on a smaller scale. I’ll see Kiddo#3 stumble face-forward on the stairs and somehow pivot in midair so he lands on his feet on the next step, laughing, and my reaction is a breathless “Thank you!” to his guardian. I don’t, strictly speaking, need to hear “You’re welcome” for that kind of talking, and if the angel wasn’t responsible, I’m sure the angel will pass it along to the One who was.
As for conversations on the weblog…
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Angel1: They’re for humor.
Angel2: In her wildest dreams, she wouldn’t be able to hear us this clearly.
Angel3: And really, what kind of lunatic would ask if her guardian angel was a Suzuki-certified violin instructor?
Angel4: Uh….
{dead silence}
Jane: It’s okay, guys. Really.
Question: You’ve written a lot about angels, too.
Answer: Yes. Over on the sidebar, the stories “Damage,” “Winter Branches,” “Even A Stone” and “Rent An Angel” are about angels. My upcoming novel, “Seven Archangels: Annihilation” is about angels too.
At heart, I’m a fantasy writer, and angels grab me as fantastic creatures. They live parallel to us and get involved in our world, but we’re mostly ignorant of their effects. In the Bible they seem to have teleportation and telepathy and telekinesis, all staples of fantasy. They have emotions, have meaningful names, have internal struggles, and wage war on an epic scale. All staples of fantasy. Plus we get hints of lots of things happening off-stage that aren’t revealed in the Bible, such as the mysterious “seven who stand directly before God.” Who are they? What did they do to deserve that honor?
Wouldn’t you love to answer those questions? I would! Well, I’m also a fanfic writer. Chalk it up as Biblical fanfiction. (And if you are a fanfic reader, I’d call it “canon” rather than “A/U.”)
Queston: If it’s ‘canon’ fanfic, is it preachy?
Answer: Well, now I have a question for you: after reading this weblog, would you come to me for spiritual direction? HAH!
The stories are written from a Christian worldview, but I’ve tried very hard to avoid morality plays. The characters are characters. The angels are angels. God is God. Ultimately, the object of my stories is to leave you feeling pleased and entertained, not “enlightened” or “improved.” If you are, great, but really, just sit back, buckle in, and enjoy the story.
Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you a funny story at my own expense.
