Book Review: Beyond the Gathering by Craig Leach

I stumbled across a Christian novel by Craig Leach on the web. I say "stumbled" because I was haphazardly guided to it via chat and discussion board conversations with Craig's wife on a totally different topic about one of my favorite hobbies (involving cordite, lead, and loud noises). I had just finished up "Codgerspace" by Alan Dean Foster and switching gears to an end-times Christian novel intrigued me, so I bought a copy on-line. It was mailed promptly to me and arrived today. In between saving Mockingbirds and lawn mowing breaks I've started to devour the book. I'm about 40 pages into it so far and it's already pulled me into its world as the stage is being set.

If this article gets you interested enough, head over to Bright Cloud Publishing at http://www.brightcloudpublishing.com and order yourself a copy. Don't let the non-commercial appearance of the site fool you, from what I've seen so far this book is a great read. You may think the price is a little steep, at 20 bucks, but I can attest to the fact that a large portion of that goes into the personal attention Craig's spouse puts into the shipping and handling. Mine arrived with a kind letter and the shipping cost was stamped on the front of the package by the postal service, which lead me to wonder if they make any money at all on it. I fear they aren't getting rich off this book right now, and I suspect they've had to make a lot of sacrifices to invest in getting it published. I believe their heart is in spreading the gospel, and if they make any profit that's just gravy to them.

Of course, those of you who know me are aware that I'm a fairly hard-core Calvinist and I wouldn't recommend anything that smacks of faulty theology. Everything I've read so far in "Beyond the Gathering" has been in line with God's Word (that would be the Bible), and I have no expectation that I will find anything different in the remaining bulk of the book.

Craig wrote it some ten years or so prior to the massive onslaught of Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' Christian fiction juggernaut "Left Behind" series, and in my opinion Craig Leach's book just missed the boat due to lack of marketing finance. Stop by his site and check it out. His personal story is also a compelling read, even if you don't want to spend any money on the book.

June 4, 2007 2:00 AM - Part 2

Obviously, by the time of this entry noted above, I am unable to put this book down. It is apparent that this is a work born of the author's passion and true belief, untouched by the gods of commerce. The delivery and style make it evident that Leach wrote "Beyond the Gathering" with a desire to communicate certain truths and had no intent to water down the message to appeal to a wider audience. That is a fresh and shockingly wonderful surprise in a world where Christianity has been diluted and robbed of its potency for the sake of profit. This novel is raw, uncut and gritty fiction that delivers honesty and unapologizing divisive fact about the nature of modern man and his one shot at redemption.

One of the minor characters, briefly introduced thus far, is depicted as having done a lifetime of work that has been shared with no one else. The character knows and willingly accepts that he will be gone from this world before his life's work bears fruit. Perhaps this is a small window into the motivation, character, and patience of Craig Leach and his kin.

Regarding the theological foundation of this work, I'm very happy that the story is centered solidly within the pale of orthodoxy. The concept of free will is a repeated theme in the book. I personally lean heavily to divine sovernty in the Calvinism vs. Armenianism debate, believing we are chosen by God more than us choosing Him, even though we must make the decision to accept Jesus as our savior, we are chosen to make that decision. That is a view that is rejected by many who believe that God must be fair, and the only way He can be fair (from the limited understanding of the human mind) is for God to allow us to make the choice totally of our own free will. I could be wrong, and they could be right, or vice versa. I enjoy debating it with them. But these are finer points in theology and there's no proof either way. Parties from both views will meet in heaven and it's even possible that God will allow the debate to continue, just to give us something to entertain ourselves. There are many of us who feel that debate and good natured argument is a slice of Heaven.

June 7, 2007 - Part 3

I finished reading "Beyond the Gathering" last night. I loved it! Please point your friends and family to this article so they can have an opportunity to get their own copy of this fast paced end-times thriller. It's a great journey, even if you're not a believer!