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With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable (Mark 4:33-34a, ESV).
A man you probably haven’t heard about but who has influenced your life more than you know, G.K. Chesterton, wrote the following quote…
And don’t believe in anything that can’t be told in colored pictures.
G.K. Chesterton, an influential writer, social commentator, and scholar living in England before World War II, grew frustrated with the moribund theology of his day — a theology of doubt, complex arguments, and difficult ideas that yielded more confusion than simple faith.
Through this theological obfuscation, the most diabolical ideas emerged. Theological liberalism of the early 1900s had an avowed purpose to demythologize the New Testament, downplay objective revelation (the Bible), and redefine Christianity as a system of improvement.
In the mid-1900s, the two movements of Communism (left-wing) and Naziism (right-wing), though poles apart politically, gained traction in a theological environment that denied Biblical authority by sacrificing itself to moralism, self-improvement, and selfish nationalism. Unfortunately leaving the common-in-the-church preachers and congregants defenseless against the secular ideologies that ultimately killed millions of Christians, Jews, or anyone who disagreed.
As the world emerged from World War II, we understand why G.K. Chesterton wrote, “And don’t believe in anything that can’t be told in colored pictures.” Chesterton, a deeply rooted believer, knew that Gospel truth could be told to children; that true theology should be easy to understand; that God isn’t the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33); and that parables were Jesus’ primary teaching tool.
For us living now, have we learned the lessons from history, or are we witnessing it repeat itself, magnified by potential AI-inspired control, theologies of self, renewed nationalism, hatred of the Jews and other minorities, and the potential to start tossing nuclear bombs to settle our differences?
Both C.S. Lewis, who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, and J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, were heavily influenced by the “telling truth by coloring” ideas of Chesterton. Tolkien had read Chesterton’s writings as a youth, and C.S. Lewis said that reading Chesterton’s book entitled The Everlasting Man helped cure him of atheism.
In the writings of Tolkien and Lewis, we find children, the downtrodden, dreams, myths, lions, dragons, evil, good, small rings, knights, and unlimited fantasy presenting Biblical truth more clearly and influentially than all of the dry theologians of the 1900s. And today they still witness to millions who have seen the movies based on the books: good wins, there is a Savior, bad people lose, and above all — grace and mercy.
Lewis had Lucy and Aslan, Tolkien had Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, and Jesus taught the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Parable of the Good Samaritan, all very clear, with simple images.
If it can’t be portrayed in colored images, let’s be skeptical! Now give your children and grandchildren coloring books.
