All was cozy and serene, one cool March night in 2012 as five of us sat on our L-shaped sofa in the great room. My husband Doug had begun a family bible study to help our teens learn how to thoroughly unpack the treasure of the Holy Scriptures. This night, however, we would delve into a tangent that would birth the idea for my first published book.
The scripture that started it was, 1 Peter 1:12. It reads It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. (NASV)
"....things into which angels long to look ." Wow! We had to take a "selah" moment. What are these things? Enter the tangent. The implication of this verse brought out our inner detective. After we poured through other verses, we found ourselves at Ezekiel 28. The teens were amazed that this verse recorded God's response to Lucifer's demise. "When did this happen?" was the next question. My husband and I told them about the Gap Theory and my mind began to wonder. Gap Theory or not, clearly Ezekiel 28 referred to a time before the beginning as we knew it.
I love words. I love the power of words and I try to respect that power and use it wisely. Words form phrases and for me, phrases are like the primary colors. You can take a phrase, mix up the word order, and get a new phrase that gives a new thought, one with hues of the first. Couples learn early in their relationship that the same phrase can mean two different things.
The biggest challenge in writing, Before The Beginning, was to give definition to a word-less concept. Let me explain. Rebellion, fear, mischief, anger, insubordination were new concepts in heaven. Even my character Helel Ben Shachar, which is Hebrew for Lucifer, had no words to name what he was feeling until God gave the feeling a name. I wanted to stay true to the dilemma that Helel and the tenants (angels) must have dealt with.
The second biggest challenge was to stay true to the nature of God as revealed in the Bible and consider what the Father's initial response would have been. I knew, as a human being trying to portray the God of the universe, that I was probably opening a can of worms that as an author, I would have to suck up and deal with.
Despite the challenges, writing fantasy fiction and trying to stay true to the Bible has been fun. I love action movies and writing an action scene, although daunting, was exciting. So I hope you'll get the opportunity to read the book and have some of your own "selah" moments. C'mon back and share them with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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