Review of Ted Dekker's Green

Perhaps I chose the wrong book as my first Ted Dekker read. Green, “the beginning and the end” of Dekker’s Circle series, is both a continuation of and an introduction to the good versus evil saga begun in Black. Although Dekker claims Green is a fine place to begin reading the Circle series, I found it difficult to plunge into.

I am not typically a fan of fantasy literature, and maybe that’s what hindered my reading, but I did find Green to be a superb allegory. The events of Green take place in two worlds simultaneously which are linked by one man, Thomas Hunter. In Black, Hunter, raised in the present age, crosses into a parallel dimension, a post-apocalyptic earth 2000 years in the future, where civilization exists much like it did in ancient times, depending on the strength of man and horse in battle and living off God’s provision. In this future world, good and evil are physical. What is unseen and spiritual of the present age is seen and tangible in the future world.

Black, Red, and White cover Hunter’s years in the future world, during which time he marries, raises a family, and fights evil. He leads the Circle, the representation of Christians who follow the ways of Elyon (God) and are literally washed by his blood, against the Hoard, the representation of those who reject salvation and worship evil.

A scabbing disease marks each Hoard member. It is discovered in Green that the disease is more than skin deep. It resides in the brain of its hosts and is a living, destructive reproduction of evil, or the literal and physical effects of sin.

Circle members are referred to as albino because they lack the scabs. They were once affected, but chose to drown in Elyon’s lake, the water turned red by his blood. They literally died to themselves and were born to salvation by accepting Elyon’s cleansing gift.

Over time, doubt has crept into the Circle, and the people can no longer see nor touch the spiritual forces surrounding them. They had been so confident in and reliant on Elyon, “But the realities of life cast doubt on that interpretation” (Dekker 150). The musing of Thomas' son, Samuel, “Absolute good and evil were nothing more than constructs fashioned by humans who needed to understand and order their everyday lives” (Dekker 150), is reflective of the way people question the need for salvation today.

Thomas sums up that need in his conversation with Kara and Monique. He says, “Yes, we die. But it’s life really, because Elyon paid that price so we can escape it.” The women question what the price is for, to which Thomas replies, “The cost of our embracing evil—death. Elyon cannot live with evil; it must die” (Dekker 199).

My one real disappointment was the ending. I understand why it ends as it does, so the Circle will continue. However, it would have been much more satisfying (to me) to end with a final defeat of evil and the redemption of the faithful. You know, a happy ending. As it is, everyone in the Circle but Thomas and Samuel go on to eternity with Elyon, while Thomas goes back in time in hope of saving his son, thus, leading us into Black.

As Thomas tells Mikil after Samuel joins the half-breeds, “There’s much [I] don’t understand.” A second (or third or fourth) reading might fill in the blanks I missed, but I will probably not see the whole picture until I read the complete series. Isn’t that ironic? I won’t see the whole picture of my own life either until its circle is complete. For now, though, I concur with the Roush, “I understand what I’m meant to understand” (Dekker 157).

I recommend reading Green, but only after reading Black, Red, and White. I believe it would be helpful to read the Paradise trilogy and the Lost Books series beforehand also.

Know When to Let Go

I sat down at my keyboard, closed my eyes, and traveled back in time twelve years. As I recorded my initial symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) for my friend Kelly's RAWarrior blog, little "oh!" moments kept popping up. Now, as I've mentioned here before, I am a minimalist at heart, and I usually struggle to get enough words on the page. This time, however, words gushed forth. My typing couldn't keep up with my memories. My friend had asked for two pages; I ended up with five.

I read and revised and cleaned up my contribution and sent the email flying through cyberspace. I apologized to my friend for the excessive length and told her I'd be happy to cut. She said, "No, no! It's fine as is."

A couple days later, Kelly questioned something I'd said about a particular medication. When I adjusted that section, I corrected a few other things and added an entire statement about a symptom I'd forgotten. I then sent her Version 2.0. A day or so later, I realized I hadn't attached my photo, so off it went. Today it dawned on me I'd forgotten to mention an RA related health issue I experienced in high school, and I hadn't even touched on stressors and triggers.

Writing is intimidating. As a writer, I expose my very soul when I put words on a page. I offer my most personal thoughts and expressions up for the judgment of strangers. I want the best of my best presented to minimize negative response, so I could edit and revise my work to infinity. There must be a point at which I say, "The End," and release it from my grasp, though.

As I have had to come to terms with my ailments and release what control I thought I had over this body, I also, as a writer, must let my words go. I can write and edit and rewrite many times over, but when each piece is ready, I must set my words free to accomplish their own work.

My RA onset story is indeed complete. Though I am tempted to continue revisions, it is out of my hands. I've released it and set it free to do its own good work. It is finished. The End. I pray that my experience, posted here (scroll down to second story), will benefit others who are blessed with chronic illness, and I pray that the lessons I've learned as a writer may benefit those who read this blog.

Commit

God has chosen and appointed you, you who have been called to write. However, Satan is a master at distraction, deceiving us with false urgencies and hindering our obedience. When we sit down to write, he whispers thoughts in our ears like, "Check out what @soandso just tweeted," or "Shouldn't you be cleaning the toilets?"

God desires us to work for Him. He needs us to work for Him, to go out into the world and represent Him. Whether we write mainstream fiction or daily devotionals, we need to "work at it with all [our hearts], as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). When we commit our ways to Him, He helps us resist the devil. James 4:7 reminds us that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. He will be unable to distract us or prevent us from doing God's will.

Go sit down and write. Produce fruit out of your obedience to the Father's calling. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" (Proverbs 16:3).

Consider Others

Facebook, in its infinite wisdom, recommended I reconnect with a friend I hadn’t heard from in quite some time. It turns out my friend’s family had recently experienced some tough times. When she thanked me for my prayers, her comment caught me off guard. She said, “It’s not often we’re missed.”

My heart broke for my friend, not just because of her difficult circumstances, but because she seemed to be alone in her struggles. I was reminded of Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” We can do that with our writing. Not every word we write is meant for thousands to read. Sometimes our words may be directed to an audience of one.

Last week, four of my friends heeded God’s nudge to minister to me. None of them knew my particular needs, but God did. I hadn’t asked for help. On the surface, I didn’t appear to need help, but the Lord knew what weighed on my heart. Two friends emailed me and two sent messages through Facebook—through written words. God spoke to these ladies and they listened, and they looked to the interests of others, of me.

Remember others. Don’t let anyone slip through the cracks. Be receptive to God’s whispers and hear broken hearts crying out. Let loved ones know when they are missed and reach out to them. A personal note may make all the difference.

Thank you to my dear friends, Suzanne, Pam, Carol Beth, and Lynn. You brought me encouragement, restoration, hope, and healing when I myself didn’t realize I needed it. I am eternally grateful for your compassion and truly blessed by your friendships. Thanks for looking not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others, of me.

Magic Words

Manners matter. I’m reminded of a Barney® song that instructs, “Please and thank you, they’re the magic words.” Although we learn these things as children, sometimes we forget to practice them as adults.

Email and social media have led us to a certain sense of comfort with strangers. I, for one, have developed several friendships on Twitter and Facebook, and even by email, with people I have never seen face-to-face, and may never meet. While it’s ok to chat with them in those forums in abbreviated text lingo, it is not ok to address agents and editors in like manner in query letters.

Remember that your correspondence with prospective publishers is a business transaction. You wouldn’t send a resume to Microsoft (or a bank, or an engineering firm, or a church office, or wherever) written in IM speak, would you? Don’t be so informal with submissions either. After all, you’re hoping to get a job with your query, right?

DO address the recipient by name (preferably preceded by Mr. or Mrs.). Present a professional request, and be sure to offer gratitude for his or her consideration. Use a standard font and plain white paper. Winking smileys are alright online, but you won’t receive one back if you include it here. Instead, it will transform into a frown as it lands upside down in the agent’s garbage bin. And always, always, always sign your complete name and make sure your contact information is correct. If the agent/editor wants to see more, you want to be sure they can reach you!

Please remember to be professional. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you!