If you have a creative child, you’re gonna love today’s podcast with science fiction author, screenwriter, and once-upon-a-time child actor Jason Karpf.
You may have seen Jason in episodes of The Bold Ones, The Courtship of Eddy’s Father, or a Krafve family favorite, Bonanza.
Maybe you find yourself wondering how to inspire your child’s imagination so they won’t get bored. Can’t keep up with their reading or viewing? There’s nothing worse than wondering if your child is getting weird stuff pumped into their brains and hearts!
You’re gonna love the encouragement in this lively conversation with Jason.
Jason’s Mom: The Talent in the Family
Busy moms can hardly stay ahead of creative children. I’m pretty sure Jason’s mom knew exactly how we feel!
But Jason’s mom had a plan. A big, glamorous, dream to live out with her family. I love it when Mom’s dreams inspire the kids to grow up doing amazing stuff, too!
After getting a top notch media education at Northwestern University, his mom piled her family into the family car and they cruised to Hollywood.
“My mom was the talent in the family. She was a writer for over 30 years,” reports Jason with a tender voice. “We came out to Hollywood in 1966 when I was 4 years old. I remember it, not quite the Grapes of Wrath, but I was in the back seat of a Ford Galaxy 500, two door.”
He remembers the car trip across America clearly.
“It was a new life for all of us. My mother, she’s with Jesus now, God rest her soul, she was brilliant and funny, and she loved sci-fi. And got me (loving sci-fi) at a very early age. It was an incredible upbringing.”
Hollywood Adventures
His family lived on the same street as Raquel Welch back in the days when Hollywood still had enclaves of middle class homes. In vivid detail, he tells of going trick or treating in nearby neighborhoods packed with mansions where executives and movie stars lived.
“I remember one Halloween, we went to Cher’s house,” Jason says. “She was there, of course, in a slinky black thing as only Cher could wear.”
Naturally, her house was all decked out like Castle Frankenstein courtesy of the CBS props department.
“I was dressed up as a member of Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the landmark Beatles album. With the victorian military garb and everything,” says Jason, crediting his mom for her creativity. “People took pictures of me because it was a musician’s crowd. They said, ‘Hey this kid likes the Beatles.’”
What a great adventure for introducing your kids to creativity at any age! Our family loves costumes, too. Obviously, I was drawn to Jason’s writing because his imagination really comes through.
Since our family values imagination, we work hard to instill imagination in each generation early, too. We believe imagination equips kids — and adults — to be empathetic. Therefore, imagination is an essential super power for compassionate people.
A Car Guy
If you read Jason’s latest book, The Deliverer, you’ll know immediately Jason is a car guy.
“I was born in 1962, so I was a little boy in the muscle car era and that sticks with ya,” he reports, adding, “I know a lot of ladies who know their cars very well and love them, too.”
If you read The Deliverer out loud to your hubby, he won’t be disappointed. Jason packed it with details about cars and lots of car crash action.
I’m not a car gal. Jason and I met because I’m a big fan of all fiction. Fiction writer’s are my heroes.
Plus, after I read and loved his latest book, I discovered it was published by one of my favorite publishers, Elk Lake Publishing. (Elk Lake published my own book, The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations.)
I was eager to ask Jason some pretty pointed questions about how Christians can balance their love of science fiction with some of the genre’s dark themes. Next week I’ll post more in “Science Fiction: Bringing Generations together at Church, Jason’s Wisdom.”
Can we protect our kids from the darkness? If you love science fiction, I bet you’re gonna love what Jason has to say.
Science Fiction: Playing God Leads to Trouble
Dave and I pray frequently for revival for America. Perhaps you, too, are hearing reports of revival breaking out around the country. By revival, we mean an outpouring of God’s Spirit calling folks to know Him as He really is.
So, I wanted to talk more with Jason about how he’s bringing sci-fi into church. Christian Sci-Fi Night with Professor K. That is, couches are bringing generations into church through a mutual love of sci-fi.
You can reach him here, to bring him to your church. If you’re in East Texas and want to coordinate with other churches, please let me know.
How does Jason engage the young people at church via science fiction? What! Can we use their love of science fiction to draw them to God?
“The thing I always begin with is I acknowledge that people may think that Christianity and science fiction are far apart. How could they ever go together? Then, I point out that scripture and sci-fi teach the same lesson. That is, playing God leads to trouble,” Jason says.
Playing God always leads to trouble. Don’t I know it!
God is in Science Fiction
“It’s in God’s own living word that we’re taught as much,” emphasizes Jason. “The Bible says do not rely on your own strength. Do not conform to the world. Do not lay up the treasure that can succumb to rust and moths. All these things mean the stuff of man. And sci-fi is about man exceeding himself.”
All humans are always in a quest to do more, to be more, to be closer to God, according to Jason.
“When we do it right, we’re godly. When we do it wrong, there is disaster. Throughout the Bible, we see those who worship false idols.”
He names Pharaoh, Saul, and Herod as examples of folks who got into trouble for playing god. The Bible and science fiction have themes in common, along with a dedication to story-telling.
“Going back to the original Frankenstein, just over 200 years ago, this is the theme. I’m going to be like God. Certainly, Dr. Frankenstein was pretty forthcoming in the god-like aspirations, especially in the Boris Karloff movie adaptation in 31,” he says.
Plus, science fiction has fans of all ages, according to Jason. I agree. Star Wars, Spiderman, Batman, you name it, the generations love it. During Black history month at our church, one young man came dressed as Black Panther. We have this generational thing that’s happening around science fiction.
Rock and Pop in the Church
He compares his outreach via church youth groups to the way rock and pop music swept through the church and transformed modern worship.
“It’s the classic advice of meeting people where they are when you want to share the gospel. It is a very accepted and effective way of using pop culture.” For more on using music to transform your work culture, check out Leading with Music, with my friend Mark House.
“We’ve got Jesus Revolution about to hit the stands. That centers on the music movement of a half century ago. Where rock and pop were introduced to worship. And there were concerns. This is demonic. You’re cheapening God. But then you have musicians like Larry Norman, the legendary Christian musician, and many others who said, ‘No, this music can bring joy, healing, lessons, and unity. This has been going on for 50 years. You will find in church after church, evangelical churches, it’s a pop and rock worship. I think that’s beautiful.”
More Adventures to Come
As a musician himself, a frequent worship leader, Jason knows what he’s talking about. Our conversation was packed, so I couldn’t detail all he shared in a blog.
If you listen to the podcast, you’ll love Jason’s star-quality voice and his enthusiasm for God, science fiction, and music.
He summed up his story this way.
“I seek to follow the lessons of my Teacher. I think you know this man, Jesus, the great Story-teller.” Yes, as a matter of fact, I needed some first hand lessons from the Great Communicator myself.
“What does Jesus do?” asks Jason, “He uses parables.”
Next week, he returns to talk more about bringing the generations back to church. Believe me, Jason doesn’t hold any punches about what Christians need to change.
So, as they say in Hollywood, stay tuned for more adventures!
🙂
Cathy
May we pray together?
Dear good Father, You are the God who created everything. Who but You could think of a redemption plan to bring us to You by virtue of Your own beloved Son’s sacrifice? We are made in Your image and therefore, creative as well. Keep us ever mindful that when we play god, we get into tons of trouble! Teach us to enjoy all the wholesome imagination and creativity available to us. Help us use all the tools available to glorify You. We want to instill in our kids a respect for Your ways. Please help us use our imagination to bring people to You, Oh good Father! We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
We LOVE to hear from YOU!
Do you remember the first time you saw Star Wars? What’s the most life-changing lesson a teacher taught you? What is your favorite way to bring kids to youth group?
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Cathy Krafve, host of Fireside Talk Radio and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. Your stories, ideas, and questions welcomed here!
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