Why read this novel?
Polycarp - a destroyer of our gods
(By Rick Lambert)
We live in a culture that likes to be governed by the
“how to’s of life,” when we should be more inclined to learn by “observing
how.” Learning by seeing and participating tends to cultivate
a desire to learn and lends itself to the discovery of new approaches and
methods. I’m not undermining book learning, but more, focusing on the
creative use of facts. You know what I mean; the difference between
knowing something and using what you know or are learning.
Novels are often an overlooked means of combining
learning with observation. We understand the importance of a good
biography, why can’t we see a novel in the same light? Of course, some
novels are equivalent to mental cotton candy, and serve no real purpose but to
bring their readers into a fairy-tale life. That being said, even in
those, principles of right and wrong can be identified, as are the rewards or
consequences of decisions.
A recent study from Emory University concluded that
reading novels can help boost brain power. “The neural changes that we
found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest
that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist,” says
neuroscientist Gregory Berns, the study's lead author. “We already knew that
good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now
we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically.”
For most of my life, I have loved reading, but resisted
reading novels. “They’re a perfectly good waste of time,” I often thought
to myself. But a few years ago, during my consulting days, a close friend
recommended that I read the book “The Goal; a management-oriented novel by
Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt. It was great, and let me see how principles
of leadership dovetail with the real issues of everyday life.
That book sparked the thought for my novel – Polycarp, a destroyer of
our gods. I wanted to help and edify others in their spiritual
growth, and this seemed like a great avenue. I desire to help Christians
know more than just theology. My passion is for the follower of Christ to
live in the reality of how God trains and disciples us in living out the
theology of His truth. He wastes no moments, no trials, no blessings or
people. Everything fits our lives to draw our focus to Him and his work
in our lives.
Polycarp was born into slavery, was mentored by the
Apostle John, and provided stable leadership in the church when the apostles
died. How could God take a boy from slavery and make him a champion of
truth? History reveals that such men are not made out of an easy life,
but as trained and disciplined soldiers of the cross. They are made to
make in impact on their generation and generations to follow. It’s the
experience of God’s guiding grace in the face of trials and the cruelty of life
that prove the greatness of God in our lives.
Guy de Maupassant a nineteenth-century French writer and
considered by many the father of the short story said: “The public is composed
of numerous groups whose cry to us writers is: ‘Comfort me.’ ‘Amuse me.’
‘Touch my sympathies.’ ‘Make me sad.’ ‘Make me dream.’ ‘Make
me laugh.’ ‘Make me shiver.’ ‘Make me weep.’ ‘Make me think.’”
This is what I have strived to do in Polycarp, a
destroyer of our gods. When you are finished reading it, I hope you see
yourself as one being trained and formed by the one true God to have a life
that destroys the gods of men.
Take a look at my novel. Enjoy it, and let it
challenge you by waking spiritual desires and stirring godly passion.
Ultimately, let it serve as comfort and as a comparison as you look at your
life in light of the life of Polycarp, a destroyer of the gods of mighty Rome.
Read it! Give it a review! And please,
recommend it!
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