“Meg, I give you your faults."
"My faults!" Meg cried.
"Your faults."
"But I'm always trying to get rid of my faults!"
"Yes," Mrs. Whatsit said. "However, I think you'll find they'll come in very handy on Camazotz.” ― Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
I am sad to say I was late to the game when it came to reading A Wrinkle in Time. Two years ago, I walked through a used book store and found this little classic. I read it quickly and eagerly, gathering all the fantasy and spiritual symbolism to myself. The characters drew me in, and I immediately fell in love with the heroine, Meg. She was so awkward and endearing - so fully capable of the task ahead of her, yet so unsure. I won't spoil the end for those who have yet to read it, but it ends beautifully. It is a quirky, strange story, but it breathes the message of God's love.
As much as I love this book, I think I love its author even more. Madeleine L'Engle, who found herself in the character, Meg, was a woman of perseverance and conviction. I learned recently that A Wrinkle in Time was rejected 26 times before finally getting published. And once it was released, it became a commonly banned book. Many Christians saw the book as blasphemy or a poor representation of God. Instead of being discouraged or angered by her Christian brothers and sisters, she responded with humor. “Nonsense about witchcraft and fantasy," she said. "First I felt horror, then anger, and finally I said, ‘Ah, the hell with it.’ It’s great publicity, really.”
I love L'Engle's writing because she placed strong emphasis on truth in fiction. I've come to love so many non-fiction writers because their words speak of a world I know and live in. L'Engle's works challenge me because they are heavy with relevance and Truth, yet they take us there through story. L'Engle was asked about the importance of story, and her response reaffirms my love for her.
“It [story] does indeed have something to do with faith,” she said, “faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically.”
Tonight, I think of Meg and Charles Wallace and liverwurst sandwiches. The characters and familiar scenes from books like A Wrinkle in Time stick in my brain. They hold different weight than the stories of non-fiction writers simply because they take my mind to a totally different world. I am out of my element in stories of fantasy, so the narratives tend to stand out. I'm thankful for L'Engles commitment to fiction and to faith in a life beyond our little world. I mean that in the sense of God's big kingdom - his gospel and Truth that extend beyond our personal comfort zones.
And personally, as a writer I want to write like L'Engle. I want to stick by the work I care about and see as significant, even in the face of adversity. L'Engle's highly controversial book went on to win the John Newbery Medal and sell 8 million copies. Even if I don't achieve these same milestones, I hope to believe in my words as she did.
L'Engle was a woman of committed faith, convicted writing, and passionate storytelling. I see the influence she's left behind in her books and personal story, and I am encouraged to do something that matters.