Chapter 20

One chapter and I had to stop and comment.  Chapter 20 is one of the reasons I read these books.  First we have Carlos entering and capturing Monique and Thomas. In listening to Thomas sleep he gets the information he needs that will allow them to create the virus and the antivirus. So we see that without Thomas the virus would never have existed. Teelah orchestrates this from another world, another time.   Clearly he has knowledge of events far beyond the current world. I don't know if Thomas ever even knows that HE was the one to give this critical information to the enemy, but Teelah certainly does. But that's not the gem of this chapter.  The real meat is in Thomas's encounter in the green lake. AS Thomas walks through the perfection he wonders how he ever doubted that this was his home. It is so perfect, so wonderful, and feels at peace here, even though it would seem from the story that all of this is new to him.  And then we get to the lake.  Elyon is embodied in the water, we know this from other chapters. And Thomas's first reaction is I think what we would all expect upon meeting God. Fear. Why is he afraid? Because unlike the other people of the forest, he has sinned. He is not perfect before Elyon, and in his soul he knows it. But despite that fact, he is drawn to Elyon, I would say that the desire in all of us, the desire that God has put in us, comes out. And then he gets hit with the mist. Just a taste, just a hint of the full experience, and nothing could stop him. It makes me wish for just a bit of that mist. Wish that I could have that physical experience of God that he has here.  But with Elyon there is of course more. There is the whole lake, and as Thomas dives into the fullness of Elyon he has an experience that is beyond words. Dekker does a good job, and as he goes through it my heart longs to know my God like Thomas is knowing Elyon.  At first it is all joy and pleasure. Elyon allows Thomas to experience him in the fun and pleasure of what he has made. And then he makes himself known. "I made this."  Simple words. But Elyon is speaking to him, to Thomas, just a man. Thomas's doesn't know God, so he has to ask, "who are you?" This seems obvious of course, but Elyon doesn't say "ah, duh, Thomas, God here, creator of all the world, etc, etc." He answers just as simply. "I am Elyon. And I made you." Such words to hear from your maker. Thomas has doubted and Elyon confirms that he belongs. Wouldn't we all love to hear that? Certainly he tells us in the Bible. But the beauty of the story is that things which we cannot experience physically, visually, they happen that way in this story.  And even more, Elyon tells him he loves him. Now I know God loves me, he has shown me in so many ways, but to stand before him and hear him say it? There could be no greater joy.  Right on the heels of this Thomas is sucked into pain, into himself, the real self that is deep inside. the depths of pain and sin, it's all there. It hurts, as it should if we are truly confronted with our sin.  And to come back to the green Thomas has to pass through the water that is like blood. Symbolic? Of course it is. In the bloody water it is no longer Thomas in pain, but Elyon. And that is heartbreaking. as as he come sour of that Elyon reminds him.  "I love you. I choose you. I rescue you. I cherish you." Despite it all, despite knowing his worst, Elyon chooses to love him. This has such a deep resonance in my soul. I come back to this chapter time after time and know that while Thomas has not completely changed he will NEVER be the same again.

Black 16-19

In this section we have the beginnings of a romance between Thomas and Raychelle, which is cute, but what I find most striking here is Thomas's encounter with Teelah. If you are like me, when you read this you want to shake Thomas. You want to make him see that Teelah is so clearly evil, that his words are cleverly designed to confuse. Why would you choose his lies over the joy a beauty of the black forest? But then I get introspective. Don't we do that all the time? We know what is right. It is obvious, but we choose a different path. Teelah says, "They follow a God who demands their allegiance and robs them of their freedom. Forbidden? Who has the right to forbid?" This sounds all too familiar. I think the deceiver has put this argument into the minds of many. But here's the flaw that Thomas doesn't see. Elyon does not demand their allegiance. Elyon loves them with a depth we cannot fathom. he desires for them to love him and in being filled with his love to reflect that in their lives. Their is no demand. He gives endlessly and loves faithfully. But they are always allowed to choose. As we are today. And so many follow to crooked finger of Teelah into the forest.

Black chapters 12-15

He chooses. He pursues. He rescues. He woos. He protects. He lavishes. Thoughts on God, as of course Elyon IS God, even our hero is beginning to get that. In line with Calvinistic theology, which seems surprising from Dekker. Those of you that wince at the term calvinism probably haven't studied what it actually teaches, but we see it in this mantra of the sinless people. I find this a comforting picture of the creator. Choosing, pursuing, saving, and lavishing his love on the church. We see it echoed here in the man/woman relationship, as it is in the Bible. Sadly with sin in the world our relationships fall far short of this example much of the time. I also love the references, we love song because he loves song, love beauty because he loves beauty. In fact we are able to love because he has instilled that desire in us. If fact, doesn't every human ache to be loved and to love in return? We live our lives searching for that perfect love, needing the assurance that we are loved. That is another unique thing that God has instill in man. I mean, do you see animals seeking love? They seek pleasure, comfort, attention, but love, no. Yet we need love. We are quite literally built that way. But I like they way he says it... "We love love because Elyon loves love. And we love to be loved because Elyon loves to be loved."

Black Chapters 9-11

In these chapters we meet the boy for the first time. I find it interesting that Ted portrays Elyon here as a boy. Why does he? Not being Ted, I can only speculate, but what I see is that as a boy he is approachable. he could be talked to, easily. in this world there is no fear of Elyon, only the experience of his deep love, so he is a boy. You can talk to him, play with him, without worry or fear. That's my humble take at least. The people are also intriguing. They are so simple. And I don't mean that in a negative way at all. They are without shame, without fear, without pretense. They are not embarrassed. And seeing them makes me see how different my life is because I DO feel these things. Every time I read this I wish I could live in this world, if only for a short time. We see Thomas wake again in the 21st century and start trying to raise the alarm on the virus. Now really, would you believe him you got this call? I really can't blame people for hanging up on him!

Black, chapters 1-8

Yes, I read up through chapter 7 yesterday. Did I mention I read quickly? Already Thomas's predicament poses a number of interesting questions. First of all, what is real? He finds himself living in two worlds, and which is real? Is it the black/colored forest? Is it the 21st century world? What is real? To him, when he is in one the other seems to be a dream. But this makes me ask myself, what is real? Because I know that this world is just a breath, that one day I will live in a world that is so much more than this one. Though I want to make the most of this life, I hope that I always remember that there is more to it. What is that quote? There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio? I'll have to look it up. Secondly, as we begin to meet the people of the colored forest, it makes me wonder what life was like in the garden, and what it would have been like if Adam and Eve had not tasted of the fruit. I think that is where Ted was going with this civilization, though in the context of this separate world. But imagine relationships with pure innocence. Ehere each is quite literally perfect. Know you could choose any man or woman as a mate and love him madly because they were all perfect, and because you were filled with love and made to love as God loves you. Relationships in our fallen world are fraught with peril. We fail each other daily. We are assuredly not perfect. But what would that have been like? Enjoy this glimpse Ted gives us. Third, and if you have not read the whole series, just skip this please, but one of the Roush makes mention that no one has gone into the black forest and come back out, EXCEPT one other time. Now, generally Ted doesn't put such things in there unless he is going to get to that story in some other book, some other time. I want to pay attention this time and see if that story comes out. I also now make sense of all the references to this seeming familiar in an odd way. Poor Thomas, stuck in this circle. I kinda feel sorry for him, knowing his choices will lead him back to the same place. Does Ted want us to think that? That he will keep repeating this cycle? Or do we think that Thomas might make different choices at some point along the line and change the outcome? I just don't know. And if Ted were reading this I doubt he would answer. I tend to think he wants you to make your own assumptions. So now I head into Chapter 8, as Thomas wakes up back in the 21st century after hearing that that world would end in 2010, the current year for him, due to a virus, which we have already hear discussed by our villains in the first chapters. And ironically the only reason they are interested in it is because of Thomas. Ted just loves to create Paradoxes it his twisted series, doesn't he?

My next project

I love to read. I love to dive into a book and live in that world for a time. I've always had alone for books and ai am one of those people that reads my favorites over and over again. If I didn't I would spend a fortune on books! I find myself drawn back to the Ted Dekker Circle series and all the connected books. I've decided to take that journey again, but this time I am going to try to blog my thoughts as I go through. I don't know that anyone is listening. If you are, well, I'm really doing this for me, not you. But if you get something out of it, well that's awesome! I really enjoy reading Dekker. He has a gritty style that I know doesn't appeal to everyone. Many Christians are even offended by his works because he refuses to follow the rules that most Christian authors do. He doesn't feel the need to pretty things up. He does gloss things over or put a veneer on reality. He doesn't mind getting gross or dirty. When I read his books though, I feel like he writes what is really under the surface, what we think but won't admit to the rest of the world. Sometimes I think his dialogue is a bit lacking. But he always makes me think. So, off I go, with Black.....