Red - Second Part of The Circle Series - The Heroic Rescue
In this book we have Justin (Elyon) being betrayed and put to death by a most inhumane method of drowning. Meanwhile 21st century earth was spinning out of control to imminent mass death and nuclear strikes and counter strikes.
In the final pages of this book, twelve adults and five children followed the footsteps of Justin in choosing to be drowned in the red water of the lake. Miraculously, they did not die but emerged cleansed from the dreaded skin disease the desert dwellers had. Strangely, those forest dwellers who used to dip daily in the green lake to escape from the dreaded skin disease were all affected by the disease in their brains to stay away from the lake water which by washing could no longer heal them.
It is all a paradox: with Jehovah, one chooses death of self in order to have new life. A real believer must hold his or her life loosely as in losing one's earthly life would lead to gaining eternal life. It somehow does not seem logical nor smart. Therefore, God chooses the fools to shame the wise. And only the sick would need the Great Physician. That is why we find that sometimes Buddhists and Taoists actually are much nicer people than some Christians in many churches. Perhaps the relatively more righteous people outside of the sheep fold feel less of a need for forgiveness and cleansing. When I was so sick that I could hardly stand up at age 31, only two Christian sisters could and would comfort me. Most judged me and told me that there must be sin in my life, my illness was judgement from God. The rest shunned me, as if by walking near me or by having contact would mean they would catch my ailment.
Looking back, it was a difficult test. It must have been by the grace of God that I did not walk away from the Church or from God. Now that it has been over, I become a person that would be able to sit for hours to listen, understand, cry, and to pray with any one whom God called me to be alongside to help. It was like undergoing the refining fire, it was terrible to be burnt for the duration. But the end result is good for me and for others.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
(248) Black by Ted Dekker
Black - First part of The Circle Series - The birth of evil
This book reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife. Thomas Hunter is like the time traveler. The major difference being the fact that when Tom is asleep in America in the twenty first century, he was asleep and dreaming of another world in a different time and vice verse.
From the abandoned son of an army chaplain, Tom became an internationally known villain who kidnapped a virologist in Bangkok. The new vaccine that was just unveiled was wrenched into the bad guys' hands to become a mutated virus capable of killing billions on earth within three weeks. It was a good plot, full of suspense!
The colored forest and the innocent long living people who enjoyed the fruits and water bestowed by Elyon (the creator) paralleled the garden of Eden. Those evil black bats that have no power over the innocent people are like the fallen angels before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
After being a practicing Christian for more than twenty years, I am afraid I still cannot see why nor am I able to explain fully why God created humans who are given the choice of good and evil. Yes, books explained that men cannot be truly free without such a choice. But look at what the choice led to: violence, suffering, perverse actions, evil ... But how can the created being question the creator? I bow to the deep knowing in my heart that God loves me and everyone else in this world. Yet even before the foundation of this world was laid, God already knew who would choose Him and who would reject Him. Even knowing that, He sent His son Jesus to die for our sins so that we can find a way to go back to Him. My son Kenneth said that reading this series (Black, Red, White and Green) enables him to understand Genesis (the first book of the Bible) better. I am still reading the second book Red, I cannot claim anything of this sort yet. Though I went right to the back and read both the given endings.
This book reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife. Thomas Hunter is like the time traveler. The major difference being the fact that when Tom is asleep in America in the twenty first century, he was asleep and dreaming of another world in a different time and vice verse.
From the abandoned son of an army chaplain, Tom became an internationally known villain who kidnapped a virologist in Bangkok. The new vaccine that was just unveiled was wrenched into the bad guys' hands to become a mutated virus capable of killing billions on earth within three weeks. It was a good plot, full of suspense!
The colored forest and the innocent long living people who enjoyed the fruits and water bestowed by Elyon (the creator) paralleled the garden of Eden. Those evil black bats that have no power over the innocent people are like the fallen angels before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
After being a practicing Christian for more than twenty years, I am afraid I still cannot see why nor am I able to explain fully why God created humans who are given the choice of good and evil. Yes, books explained that men cannot be truly free without such a choice. But look at what the choice led to: violence, suffering, perverse actions, evil ... But how can the created being question the creator? I bow to the deep knowing in my heart that God loves me and everyone else in this world. Yet even before the foundation of this world was laid, God already knew who would choose Him and who would reject Him. Even knowing that, He sent His son Jesus to die for our sins so that we can find a way to go back to Him. My son Kenneth said that reading this series (Black, Red, White and Green) enables him to understand Genesis (the first book of the Bible) better. I am still reading the second book Red, I cannot claim anything of this sort yet. Though I went right to the back and read both the given endings.
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