To be cross-posted on my AMHavens.com blog
Update on my new book – Spiritual Warfare (working/descriptive title). For me this is a blockbuster work, encompassing a lifetime of learning and study. I truly believe this is a work inspired by God Almighty. As the first draft is nearly complete, much has happened to convince me this book truly is something God Himself wants me to accomplish.
Lest you start thinking I’m getting full of myself, I’ll remind you of the subject of this post. What humbles me, and though it is easy for me at present, I pray I can keep a deep sense of humility even IF God greatly blesses this work so it blesses many many people, is my past accomplishments. Or should I say my past failures? The latter far exceeds the former.
In fact, I cannot say I have any credentials to speak of to write this book. In a way I envision myself in the place of the fictional Elmer Gantry when he stood before the Christian Elite who demanded he justify his existence ministry to their satisfaction. In the movie by the same name, Elmer Gantry, a struggling part salesman, part flim flam man turned preacher, was never ordained. He had no official education or even a background to justify him. In fact, the movie itself left his true motives up in the air for the audience to wonder.
Further note on the Elmer Gantry reference: I saw this movie many decades ago. The above is how I remember it. Per my habit, I looked it up to check my facts. The first scene from the movie I remember is where Gantry is on the road as a salesman. Turns out in the book he was a former law student who then attended seminary. (I don’t know about the movie) Later (again in the book) he becomes a Methodist minister. Now I’m not sure sure about the whole “credential scene” – at least how accurate my memory about it is.
Side fun fact: This movie, or my memory of it, is also my inspiration for my first, yet unpublished novel – “The Visionary”. The story came to me in a flash as I reflected on the scene of Gantry standing before some group of religious leaders. While the storyline in “The Visionary” vastly differs from the Gantry movie, the scene I envisioned might come close in a general sense – one man standing in front of respected leaders who demand he justify himself.
To be fair to myself, I do have a lifetime of life and study under my belt – closing in on five decades, actually. While some might point out my early “dubious” association with what some call a cult – The Way Ministry – others can say, and rightfully so, I have never been a member of any church, never had any formal training to speak of, or never held any position of responsibility in any Christian organization. While those things are not entirely accurate technically speaking, they are mostly so. Thus I would not argue those points.
So I will publish this book, God willing, intending to let the words speak for themselves, come what may. When the floods come, we shall see of the house still stands. It will have to stand on it’s own without the benefit of my qualifications, or despite the lack of them, to produce it.
All of the above supposes the book will make some sort of impact – that it will get noticed. If it does to any extent, there will surely be detractors. Why? Because I dare challenge some of today’s pillars of Christian beliefs. Sacrilege. Well, maybe to some. Keep in mind, many of Jesus’ teachings were sacrilege to the Jewish leadership of the time – so much so they crucified him. Get this straight – I’m no Jesus. Not even close.
But what if it doesn’t? What if, instead of a Big Splash, my book nary causes a ripple? What if I sell a handful of copies and then… nothing. Again. So be it. Here is where the significance of insignificance comes into play.
Most of us can name a few great individuals. Some could name many. No doubt anyone reading this can name at least one. Go ahead, speak the name of that great person that came to your mind. Now let me ask you this – who influenced that great individual? What was their name? In most cases the name of the person who influenced your great stalwart of history is forgotten, if anyone knows the name at all. If not, then ask yourself – who influenced that person? In most cases it won’t take long before you come to a dead end – some person whose name buried in the annals of history if not entirely forgotten by all. No doubt some were buried in an unmarked grave, the whereabouts of such nobody remembers. One might say such a person was insignificant. Or was he (or she)?
Now spread your wings a bit. Consider the life of that person you had in mind. (I’ll assume a male but only for the sake of convenience.) Are the accomplishments of any one of us a direct result of the influence of just one person? Of course not. It may well be so that a single word from one person at one moment of time caused a ripple that changed our entire world as we know it. If you think about it, no doubt you’ll agree history is chock full of such instances. Each one, standing alone, could be deemed insignificant, while the opposite is true.
Back to my book, it could well never take off, never be well-read, never make the impact I would love it to have. I just don’t know, nor will I unless and until it is published and then… ??? Whatever. The one thing it has going for it is it is loaded with scripture. God says His Word never returns void. As such, I expect the book to profit someone somewhere at some point no matter what else happens. For me that is enough, even if I am never privy to the influence it has on another person.
For this reason alone, I am determined to keep at it, to complete the work, and to publish it. I still have a long road ahead. Please keep me in prayer.