A few years ago, although I had not ever seen myself as a writer, God put it on my heart to write 50 Shades Of White.
It began as a small, nagging concern. I was bothered to see the proliferation of books and movies promoting the notion that love and joy could be found through humiliation and degradation. The more I read and saw, my concerns multiplied. As a parent, I found it appalling that our daughters are learning that there are no consequences for wrong decisions, thoughts and behaviors. On the contrary – the heroines of modern fiction and film often live “happily ever after” despite their bad choices. What lessons – what lies -- are we propagating?
I wondered, what if a novel showed the truth? What if the main character was not rewarded for her decisions, but instead, had to live with the “real” consequences?
And so, 50 Shades Of White was conceived.
In many ways, 50 Shades of White is a compilation of events I personally witnessed and experienced while growing up – and the “real life” consequences. Although 50 Shades of White is categorized as a novel, it is no fairytale. The main character, Angie, could be a real person. In fact, to me, she is real, because in many ways, her story is my story, but she could be your sister. Your daughter. You.
And just like in the “real” world, as Angie makes decisions similar to those portrayed in popular culture, there are unfortunate consequences. No one can “rescue” her. She can’t wait for a man to redeem her. She can’t count on a Hollywood writer to conjure up some magical knight in shining armor. That’s not how the real world works. I know this firsthand. For genuine and lasting healing and salvation, it is up to Hannah to save herself. She has to make the right decisions. She has to choose to be a child of God.