He talked about sheep, coins, weddings, oil lamps and seeds. The plots sound anything but spiritual. The sacredness comes not so much from the tale itself as from the application. The sacredness comes when the story is lifted onto a spiritual plane, when all its facets are studied through regenerated eyes. Another worthy aspect of secular fiction is its artistic value.
Some novels are creative masterpieces.
And long after we've placed J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings back onto the shelf, the epic tale of good against evil stays etched in our minds. God can touch us through written works of art in the same way that he reveals himself through the rich harmonies of a symphony or the intricate brush strokes of a master artist. Whether he is openly acknowledged by the artist or not, artistic gifts bring him honor. But despite the many positive aspects of the secular novel, defending it has its limits. When we stand with Christ, we stand against sin and evil in all realms, whether physical or mental.