WHITE
By Jeremy Reynalds
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) --
Three novels, two worlds and one story.
“Black,” “Red” and now “White.”
Only fiction’s new rising star, Ted Dekker, could come up with such a
unique concept.
 Dekker’s “Circle” trilogy (www.teddekker.com/theadventurebegins.htm),
of which “White” is the final gripping installment, questions where
this world ends and another begins.
(Pictured: Cover of Ted Dekker's WHITE).
As Dekker’s publisher writes, “‘White’ is the story of an unlikely yet
determined hero, Thomas Hunter, who struggles to stave off a war and a
virus that are simultaneously ravaging two alternate world’s
populations. Meanwhile, he must also contend with the ramifications of
an incredible love story that unfolds – the consequences of which are
far more crushing than anyone could ever imagine.”
As with all of Dekker’s work, “White” is a story that not only lives up
to, but vastly exceeds, its publisher’s advertising.
However, I realize that we live in a culture where both time and money
are precious commodities (so although I’m a confirmed Dekkerholic and
plan to buy everything he writes until he quits writing or dies), I
asked Dekker why potential readers should consider investing 20 bucks
to buy a copy of the book.
LOOKING BEYOND THE OBVIOUS
There was no hesitation in Dekker’s answer. He called the series “a
very unique look” into our lives and history, which not only helps
believers but also those who have yet to come to faith in Jesus.
“Believers need to open their eyes to the true nature of their
salvation,” Dekker said, “why they were created and how they fell into
sin; how they can’t see spiritual realities all the time. You spend 20
hours in a story and it will give you a whole new perspective of what
life is all about.”
While the series is “God’s story you don’t see it as God’s story,”
Dekker said. “It’s redoing it fresh and seeing it through God’s
paradigm.”
Unbelievers can also benefit from reading the “Circle” trilogy, Dekker
said. “They will be exposed knowingly or unknowingly (to the gospel)
from a very simplistic perspective. It’s a fantastic trip. (Of course)
what they do with it is beyond my perview. I just write the story as I
see it.”
Explaining the concept of the two realities underlying the trilogy,
Dekker said “We are all caught between two worlds; the world of flesh
and blood and the world of principalities and powers.”
Dekker said an important aspect of living in the world today is looking
beneath the surface and understanding what is happening to us. “
“If your eyes are closed,” he said., “you will never have a need to
seek out (the truth). But when your eyes are opened you will seek it
out. (These stories are) the gospel message cloaked in a story. I tell
the entire gospel story from (beginning to end).”
I asked Dekker if he had any specific goal in mind when he writes. He
said, “I just write stories about God’s character and the struggles we
face. I am coming at that truth from fresh angles and from interesting
ways, so people don’t know from the moment they open the first page
what the conclusion is. I want people to rediscover the truth and
others to discover it for the first time. That is all I want. This is
my seed. I throw it out there and let God use it as He wants.”
Dekker has had a very positive response to the “Circle” trilogy,
especially from youth. He called the sort of storytelling in the books
“right down their line. They have no trouble embracing the genre of
alternate realities. It requires no effort at all on their part.”
Having undertaken such a massive project, I asked Dekker how he felt
when he finished writing. He said, “I felt completeness; like I had
told the story I had set out to tell. I feel more satisfied about it
than anything else. Although it’s very simplistic I told a very
complete picture. It is kind of like God’s story. I told about the
intoxicating pleasure of diving into His lake and His yearning desire
to redeem the people who left Him.”
Dekker called the “Circle” trilogy “irresistible.” He said, “The only
people who will not go bananas over this story are people who will have
difficulty interfacing with this kind of fiction. All of those who
(enjoy) this genre will find it irresistible because it is their story
of how God will do anything to redeem them. We were created by an
obsessive God to obsess, and our obsession must be in Him.”
“White” is already in a number of bookstores nationwide. It will be in
others in the next few days.
DEKKER DOWN THE ROAD
 While Dekker has plans
for many more fiction books, he is also expanding into non-fiction with
an upcoming release titled “The Slumber of Christianity.” He said it
deals with the death of desperation for the afterlife in Christianity
today. (Pictured: Cover of Ted
Dekker.com).
“Within Christianity we have completely forgotten the bliss, the
intoxicating pleasure that awaits us after we die,” Dekker said. “This
bliss is what motivated the early church. Instead of running the race
and straining toward the finish line in this marathon called life and
the prize that awaits us, we have become distracted by the cups of
water along the way and go chasing after the cupbearers. But the race
was never about the cup of water along the way. It was always about the
gold medal across the finish line.”
Dekker said, “When you start focusing on the afterlife it starts
illuminating pleasure in this life. When you look at that light of
eternity. It illuminates the pleasure of this life. This book is really
about pleasure and desiring Him.”
I asked Dekker if it was difficult to write a book like “The Slumber of
Christianity”after writing fiction for so long. He said that the words
“just flowed out” of him and it was, in fact, much easier than writing
fiction.
For additional information about Dekker and his work, go to a local
bookstore and buy “White” and then log on to www.teddekker.com
| Jeremy Reynalds is a
freelance writer and the founder and director of Joy Junction, New
Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org or http://www.christianity.com/joyjunction.
He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New
Mexico and is a candidate for the Ph.D. in intercultural education at
Biola University in Los Angeles. He is married with five children and
lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy
Reynalds at reynalds@joyjunction.org.
Tel: (505) 877-6967 or (505) 400-7145. Note: A black and white JPEG
picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at assistcomm@cs.com. |
 |
|
.