I've been told before that there's no point in reading when you can watch movies and actually see the scene instead of just reading about it. But those people have obviously never read these books.
So here are my top 5 books with the most vivid scenes in Christian fiction.
Minor spoilers to follow
1. Laughing at death in When Heaven Weeps from the Heaven trilogy by Ted Dekker
There is a reason this ranks number one. I will never be able to erase the picture of the priest laughing while being beaten on a cross. Yes you read that correctly. Then the picture is driven home near the end when the scene is repeated. Considering When Heaven Weeps was Ted Dekker's first published book, the power of his imagination and words is incredible, rivaling The Passion of Christ in terms of raw intensity.
2. Thomas and Ba'al's showdown at the altar in Green from the Circle series by Ted Dekker
When you have the Bible, it's hard to find better ideas anywhere else. In this scene, the story of Elijah vs. the prophets of Ba'al, but set in a epic fantasy world and with the death of the main character's son on the line. The power of the scene is portrayed in every single word, making it one of the best scenes I've ever read.
3. In Elyon's lake in Black from the Circle series by Ted Dekker
There's a reason the Circle is my favorite series. When I experienced this scene of Thomas diving into Elyon's lake, I couldn't help but cry and laugh at the beautiful love of our God. This scene was the birth of the Circle series, and my only criticism of this series is that the scene is so good, that it gets used again four more times to the point of slight overuse, although you could also blame it on the fact that I've read this series 10+ times. But that doesn't make the original scene any less impactful.
4. Holden sings in the play in Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury
Moving on from Ted Dekker and dramatic scenes, we have the perfection that is the play at the end of Unlocked. The whole book is about an autistic boy named Holden who only comes out of his shell for music. At the end of the book, Holden gets to play the beast in his school's production of Beauty and the Beast. While it has the potential of being seen as cheesy, the portrayal of Holden is done so well and the ending feels so earned that it's an absolutely beautiful scene and perfect ending.
5. The memory care facility in Remember from the Baxter series by Karen Kingsbury
This scene somehow turned an unlikable brat into the fan favorite of this series, transforming the character and shaping the story going forward. The character, Ashley, got a job at a retirement home taking care of people in the memory care facility. Without giving any spoilers, the way she learns from them and helps them is deeply beautiful.
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