How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”

• Isaiah 52:7

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

• Luke 8:1

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

• Matthew 28:16-20

“You must not look at them from above, or outside, and say: ‘Poor creatures; they would obviously be the better for so-and-so – I must try and make up a dose for them.’ You’ve got to come galloping out shouting excitedly: ‘Look here! Look what I’ve found! Come and have a bit of it- it’s grand-you’ll love it- I can’t keep it to myself, and anyhow, I want to know what you think of it.’”

• Dorothy L. Sayers, “Sayers to Lewis,” in Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers, Volume Three, 1944-1950, A Noble Daring

Boilerplate

In this mini-series, I will fulfill a promise.  Some time ago, published 14 January 2025, I wrote a brief synopsis of the book, Subversive by Crystal Downing.  The post is called A Subversive Christian.  In that book, I talked about the three books in the photo above.  And I especially wanted to do a mini-series on the book on the right, The Gospel in Dorothey L. Sayers. 

Note that the title uses the preposition “in.”  Dorothy L. Sayers did not write a fifth gospel.  She did not write as if inspired directly by God.  The canon of Scripture is complete.

But in stating what this is not, then what is it?  All Christians have the Holy Spirit within them, guiding them.  When being a Christian is something you have inside you and through you, then your life will reflect that.  This book is how you can see various aspects of the Christian life in the works of Dorothy L. Sayers, mystery novels, plays, letters, and essays.

After the Introduction, it starts with Whose Body?  The editor’s attribute of a Christian that she focuses on is “Conscience.” Whose Body? is her first detective fiction novel featuring her main character, Lord Peter Wimsey.  Then in Death Must Advertise, we find Lord Peter has a couple of middle names.  His full name is Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey.

But we will stay in the Introduction for more than a  week.  There are at least a half dozen quotes just in the introduction that look interesting.  I am not in a hurry to speed through this book.  I was not in a hurry to start it with me being over a year since I promised to make it into a mini-series.

But I would hope people could read my short stories and see the gospel being acted out in the characters in my fictional stories.  Deviled Yeggs grew up in a family of safe crackers, robbing from others.  He set out as a policeman, and then homicide detective, to redeem the family name but learning each person must have Christ redeem them individually.  Deviled’s wife, Trinity Naomi Tesla (TNT) Yeggs, was nicknamed “Nitroglycerin” (Glyce for short) by her parents because she was explosive when shaken.  But she found calm and peace in her husband’s arms, and eventually she found the same comfort and peace in the arms of Jesus as she faced “shaky” experiences.

Even when not writing about Jesus directly, the Good News (Gospel) appears in many ways in what a Christian writes.  Let’s enjoy this journey with possibly my favorite author (outside the Bible with C.S. Lewis in a tie with her), Dorothy L. Sayers.

Discussion

In the slightly modified Boilerplate, I mention that outside the Bible, Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis are basically tied as my favorite authors.  Of course, the Bible has several authors, but then only One, as God inspired each to write what He wanted written.

But this quote from Dorothy L Sayers comes from a letter she wrote to C.S. Lewis.  He must have asked her how someone with her crusty personality could share the gospel.  Her response above, in slightly less British style is what I tell everyone in my Sunday school class.  When God is inside you, the love kind of bubbles out every pour.  You cannot help but share it.

But Lewis was a bit concerned.  In his Panegyric for Dorothy L Sayers, Lewis described her as being “gleefully ogreish.”  It was said that she was the only woman with whom Lewis could enter deep philosophical and theological arguments.  In a time when women rarely got a degree of higher education, Sayers was highly educated, and Lewis considered her an equal in intellect.  He loved sparring with her and they rarely agreed.  Yet, they finished the argument with kind words for each other.  When Sayers passed away, Lewis’ stepson said that it was the only time C.S. Lewis was seen weeping.

But here is a woman who fought her way through getting a higher education.  She fought her way through the advertisement business until she was able to publish her first novel Whose Body?  I am sure she had her share of rejections, but unlike many female authors of the last century, she neither published under a pseudonym nor or simply used her initials (P.D. James and J.A. Jance as examples).  She published under her own name.

She was tough.  Toning down that toughness was not easy.  But her answer to C.S. Lewis’ incredulity over her sharing the gospel is almost playful.

‘Look here! Look what I’ve found!  – She doesn’t slap someone on the side of the head with the Bible.  She starts with a conversation starter that almost sounds like a mystery novel first line.  She draws them in.

Come and have a bit of it- it’s grand-you’ll love it – Once she draws them in, she invites them to go on the adventure with her.  She paints it as something they would enjoy.

I can’t keep it to myself, – Here is where she separates herself from those who barely get by in their Christian walk.  If Jesus is in your heart, truly there, doing His thing, and the Holy Spirit is guiding you, it is impossible to keep it to yourself – thus the premise of this book.  I agree totally.

and anyhow, I want to know what you think of it.’ – And then, she challenges the person that she is taking to into a conversation about knowing Jesus.  She does not pound Scripture down their throats and tell them they have to accept Jesus right now or they are going to Hell.  Sure, they could walk five paces away and die of a heart attack, but she just wants their opinion of what she has to say.

Of course, when someone accepts her invitation, Mrs. Sayers needs to be prepared to discuss her testimony and her reasons for knowing that Jesus Christ is the Only Way, Truth, and Life.

But her introduction to draw the people in is beautiful.

It makes me reconsider my attempts in sharing the gospel.  But share it, we must.

Closing Prayer

Father, guide me.  I have learned so much in sharing my faith from a few short statements from one of my favorite authors.  Even old folks can learn something new.  Help me to think of that attitude as I share my faith with others.  Showing people the path toward You is my passion, and the more I can learn, the better.
In Thy Name I pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.