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Just finished reading a cool book called The Warded Man. Found it in the library.
The book takes place in a world beset by demons. They arise every night from the core of the Earth. A lot of bad stuff happens to the main character, of course. To all three of them, actually. But the title character... well, it destroys any chance of him having faith. And he's talking about that to a priest, who is trying to convince him that there is a Creator and a reason for it all and a plan that could be understood if only the bigger picture could be seen.
It's not the first time I've seen a conversation like that in a book. But it brings up the same thought in me every time. Whatever I think of theology in our world, I know the truth of theirs. The priest is absolutely right. In their world, there is a higher power. There is a creator. No question. Their entire lives, their entire world... all part of a greater plan. The deaths of loved ones, the plague that rips through the town, the demons who slaughter anyone they can get their hands on, the betrayals and bandits and everything... all part of the plan. A plan that will eventually (almost) certainly bring triumph, glory, and (some measure of) happiness to the main characters. There is indeed a reason for all that pain and suffering and conflict and death.
That reason? Entertainment. For people like me who can pick the book up off the shelf and escape into it for a few hours.
Sometimes, I wish I could tell them. But it would be doing them no favors. Sort of feels like maybe I owe them something, though. And an apology isn't nearly going to cut it. Not after everything they went through.
The book takes place in a world beset by demons. They arise every night from the core of the Earth. A lot of bad stuff happens to the main character, of course. To all three of them, actually. But the title character... well, it destroys any chance of him having faith. And he's talking about that to a priest, who is trying to convince him that there is a Creator and a reason for it all and a plan that could be understood if only the bigger picture could be seen.
It's not the first time I've seen a conversation like that in a book. But it brings up the same thought in me every time. Whatever I think of theology in our world, I know the truth of theirs. The priest is absolutely right. In their world, there is a higher power. There is a creator. No question. Their entire lives, their entire world... all part of a greater plan. The deaths of loved ones, the plague that rips through the town, the demons who slaughter anyone they can get their hands on, the betrayals and bandits and everything... all part of the plan. A plan that will eventually (almost) certainly bring triumph, glory, and (some measure of) happiness to the main characters. There is indeed a reason for all that pain and suffering and conflict and death.
That reason? Entertainment. For people like me who can pick the book up off the shelf and escape into it for a few hours.
Sometimes, I wish I could tell them. But it would be doing them no favors. Sort of feels like maybe I owe them something, though. And an apology isn't nearly going to cut it. Not after everything they went through.
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