Locations in my books: Tintern Abbey

Where are the books set? And why?

A series about locations in the books

(The Excalibur Parchment, The Lucifer Scroll, The Prince Madoc Secret)

Part two: Tintern Abbey

Set in a meandering section of the Wye River valley about ten miles north of the border town of Chepstow, the skeletal ruins of Tintern Abbey evoke a peacefulness and solitude that is at odds with its turbulent past.

Tintern was the model for the fictional Cymllyn Abbey in The Excalibur Parchment. My monks Thomas and Owain were at the abbey, as was the traitorous Gethin—a Druid leader infiltrating the Christian church.

Tintern itself was abolished by Henry VIII in his dissolution of the monasteries. The lead roof was removed for its value, but the stone skeleton was left. Over the years the magnificent old church deteriorated but still retained a stark beauty. In 1798, the poet William Wordsworth wrote his famous poem “Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey”. Interest in the old site picked up and it is now a well-restored ruin and a major tourist attraction.

In the abbey ruins you see the outlines of the various supporting outbuildings—the Abbot’s residence, the infirmary, the monks cells and others. It stands on the banks of the Wye River in a fairly flat area surrounded by hills. It is rich agricultural land and, as you walk around the site, you can easily imagine the hustle and bustle of the monks and lay workers as they tended the crops and animals. You can also understand how this became one of the wealthiest Cistercian monasteries of its age—a wealth Henry was determined to seize.

Standing inside the ruins of the magnificent church with its ornate stone decorations and window shells, you can also let your imagination run wild. I deliberately loaded some medieval chants onto my iPhone, plugged in my earpiece and let my imagination wander the monks deep melodious singing hymns accompanying me as I strolled down the nave.

But in my mind, I was not at Tintern. I was at Cymllyn Abbey with Thomas and Owain as they served and then found themselves challenged with the discovery that the Abbots of Cymllyn had hidden and protected a tremendous icon for more than 700 years—the mighty Excalibur, King Arthur’s sword.

From the ruins, I could see the river down which they escaped. And not too far away, the forested hills into which they fled and, beyond that, the open moorland they had to cross, pursued not only by vengeful Druids but by the soldiers of Lord de Tuberville.

All in all, and evocative, peaceful and contemplative spot.

Favourite locations found in my books: 1 Old College, Aberystwyth Wales

Where are the books set? And why?

A series about locations in my books

(The Excalibur Parchment, The Lucifer Scroll, The Prince Madoc Secret)

Part One: The Old College, Aberystwyth

The Old College in Aberystwyth was the first university in Wales. Its first home was an old former hotel that had been built on the seafront and then extended, before passing into the hands of those who wanted Wales to have its own institute of higher learning. It became known as The Old College or, in Welsh Yr Hen Goleg.

It is a key location in The Prince Madoc Secret.

Interestingly, it was a forward-thinking university from its inception, offering women the same opportunities for higher education that were offered to men—a distinct change from the normal gender-based thinking of Victorian times. It was also developed partly thanks to the efforts of Non-Conformist ministers across Wales who collected “pennies of the people” to develop a starting fund of five thousand pounds—an enormous sum in those days.

As time passed, the university outgrew the existing building. A new, sprawling modern university was constructed in the hills east of the town and today is a renowned school of higher learning. The charming seaside town is also home to the National Library of Wales.

But the quirky old building on the seafront remains. At the invitation of some of the university’s leaders—who told me that ‘my professor’ (Huw Griffiths) had to do some of his research at the university. I agreed. And I went to the Old College to take a look when I was researching and writing The Prince Madoc Secret last year.

I found a delightful, quirky building that really is an amalgam of architectural styles and construction. A magnificent triangular limestone leads into the substantial wooden doors at the entrance to the College. Inside, a massive grand stone staircase leads up to narrow halls. Circular metal staircases clash with wooden staircases. Halls go nowhere except to another set of stairs (stone, wood or metal) which lead to other halls and other staircases (stone, wooden or metal) leading down half a flight to yet more halls. Rooms, professors offices and lecture theatres feed off the main halls. 

Along the seafront side is a set of rooms occupied by Prince Charles when he was a student here learning Welsh and preparing for his investiture as Prince of Wales.

The Old College is mostly devoid of students now. They’ve moved up to the main campus east of the town. Instead, there are plans to revive the Old College as a place for special events and concerts among other things.

But it was just the right place for Stone Wallace and Mandy Griffiths to use as a base for their research into the legendary Prince Madoc. It’s a building steeped in history and yet timeless; a place imbued with a sense of learning and Welshness, set in a magnificent location beside the old castle which dates from 1277.

History, culture, legend, idiosyncratic styles are all gathered at The Old College. It is worth a visit and worth a prominent place in the book.

The Old College

Exposing myself!

It’s a funny old world.

If I were to be so stupid as to remove my clothes in public I could be arrested and charged with indecency, exposure and whatever other laws are on the books.

But if I publish a novel which reaches into the mind of characters and seeks to illuminate feelings, motivations and thoughts, then the fact that I am exposing myself is perfectly alright. It’s acceptable and no police officer is going to come knocking on my door.

But is it really alright?

It’s a struggle for me. My entire career as a journalists and communications professional has been spent telling the stories of other people. I delved into their deepest thoughts and examined their actions and motives as well as their beliefs without a second thought. As a professor in a college public relation programme, I taught others how to tell their stories.

When I began to write my novels, and especially when they were published and out in the marketplace, the sense of personal exposure and its ramifications hit home. And, as I send my third novel out to the public this month, the anxiety and hand-wringing gets no easier.

In every book, I expose myself, my beliefs, my thoughts, my hopes, my fears, my dark side and my optimistic side. Oh sure, it comes out through the various characters that inhabit the plot, and my characters are an amalgam of people I have met and interacted with, the good ones and the bad ones, mixed with a good dollop of my own ingredients.

But I expose myself by putting the work out under my name. I lay it all out there for people to like or dislike, and it’s an uncomfortable feeling. What if they don’t like it? What if, instead of a police officer coming to the door, it’s a negative critic telling the world how bad the book is?

I am vulnerable during this time. My ego is out there waiting for something to happen; hoping it’s love and praise and worrying that it will be disdain, angry dismissal or, worst of all, apathy. Exposure of this kind, to my mind, is just as disturbing as streaking down the main street of a major city in rush hour.

It’s a level of insecurity that rises above the norm. In the moments before a book signing or event that insecurity can make my legs shake, my stomach churn and then tie itself into knots. It is only alleviated by the responses from readers or the delight in people’s eyes as they purchase a copy and then cradle it on the way home. It’s also eased by the first reviews that indicate that, by and large, if I did O or not..

So why do it? Why go through the hard slogging, the days and nights of angst, the days or sometimes weeks of creative block all of which are the agony and ecstasy of writing novels?

Because I am bursting to tell these stories. I want to entertain. I want to engage readers and make them think; to offer them new ways of dealing with the ups and downs of life. I want to take them out of their world and give them hope. I want them to understand that while there is much evil in this world, there is also much good; while there is despair there is hope.

So, there it is. Another book in the marketplace. Another round of anxiety and sweating. But another opportunity to expose myself and hope that people will be entertained, challenged and, in the end, satisfied.

A good glass of wine might be in order!

(for information on Barrie and his books, go to www.barriedoyle.com)

On writing about history and legends. And Wales.

            I would like to acknowledge the many readers who have commented in person or in writing about my two previous books, The Excalibur Parchment and The Lucifer Scroll.  Your appreciation and rave reviews are extremely encouraging (and a lot make me blush), so I am literally over the moon when you pass along your kind thoughts.

Each of the books is a stand-alone story, although obviously they and The Prince Madoc Secret (published Spring 2018) form an ongoing series. While they are fiction, I strive for as much precision and historical accuracy as possible. Any mistakes are my own, created by my own carelessness or stupidity. History is a story. It is the story of people. As that story is recorded (whether verbal or written) it changes based upon the perspectives of the individual telling the story. History is always open to interpretation. Out of the repeated tellings and re-tellings of a historical event, legends and myths are created. So, in the modern era, my protagonists see historical situations and artefacts through the prism of time and previous interpretations. Truth can sometimes be explained through this. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, saw this clearly. “I believe that legends and myths are largely made of ‘truth’ and indeed present aspects of it that can only be received in this mode”

            In a day when society is such a tumult, I try to show the personal development of my characters as they struggle with the challenges set before them. Some are weighed down by previous disappointments and loses. Others are meeting real challenges for the first time. How they cope—whether it is anger, fear or faith—is a key developmental factor in the story. I have met great challenges in my life—personal as well as professional. Faith in God is the one constant I have had and has led me through and blessed me each time. For others, that is not a factor and I respect that. Some have great internal strength that takes them through. Others do not and drop into shells, reluctant to face the challenges life throws at them. Yet others react by building a sense of rage and revenge against those who laid the challenges before them. Each reacts in their own way, and I have tried to reflect that myriad of responses in the books.

            Legends allow an exploration of those challenges in ways that are unique and, normally, outside the ordinary aspects of modern life.

            I am also amazed at the way today’s news reflects and often jumps ahead of my stories. I say that because when I first started writing Excalibur I thought I had created a thoroughly unprincipled and evil set of zealots as my villains. Then along came ISIS and did more depraved things to humanity than I could ever have imagined. I have tried to explore the supernatural world and evil as it hovers around modern society, especially in Lucifer. Certainly, modern culture seems to want to explore this, particularly in movies and television. Then I see the news headlines and read about man’s inhumanity to man on an individual as well as mass basis so, again, I am trumped by reality.

            Some have asked why my antagonists are Druids. For many, Druids and their ilk are confined to the mists of time. They are banished from our minds as “not modern” when, in fact, both cultural and religious Druids exist today. A simple internet search will show that. The answer to that question ‘why’ is both complex and simple. First, I was sick and tired of reading novels where the villains were always the same generic groupings—corrupt businessmen, politicians or church leaders; Nazis; neo-Nazis; Russian mafia, communists or post-communists. I wanted a ‘new’ group of villains that fit into the framework of the stories. Second, in any religious teaching, there always seem to be those who become brutal zealots violently and cruelly demanding obedience and “their way or the highway.” Since I wanted to explore the supernatural and issues of faith in challenging times, the Druids seemed to fit. I made them a zealous, violent branch of Celtic society where things like the supernatural world are, well, natural. The beliefs in fairies, leprechauns, the thinning veil between the underworld and the current world (especially at Halloween) fit with the themes I was developing, and are still a part of modern Celtic culture and thinking. Druids in ancient times (pre-Roman) were their society’s priests, philosophers, historians, judges, wisdom and bards, or storytellers. Today, in Wales, they are the poets and musicians that keep Welsh culture alive at Eisteffodds.

            Having or searching for a faith to believe in is an essential component of the motivations of many of my characters. How they make the search and how successful they are, reflects, I believe, the modern search for spirituality in a secular world. For my main protagonists, faith is a critical part of who they are or who they are becoming.

            Why have I set so much of all the books in Wales? Again, several reasons. Wales is a beautiful but little-known country, especially in North America where, if you think of Celtic nations, Ireland and Scotland come to mind immediately. Wales, not so much. Which is unfortunate because of all six Celtic nation—Wales (Cymru), Scotland (Alba), Ireland (Eire), Cornwall (Kernow), Brittany (Breizh), Isle of Man (Mannin)—Wales is closest to the original Celtic standards than any. (It is indeed little known. Look at any guided tour of Britain and you’ll hit England and Scotland and Ireland, but very few spend any time in Wales.) Yet, Wales is a land of myths and legends (the year 2017 was labelled by the Welsh government as ‘Year of the Legend’). Music and the arts are a core value. Castles and history ooze out of the ground (there are seven castles within a 15-mile radius of my hometown), more than any other nation in the world. History. Legends. Myths. I can think of no better, fresh setting for a novel than this proud nation that, like my protagonists face every challenge with courage, conviction and pride. Perhaps I might intrigue you enough to entice you to visit this marvellous land. I appreciate the ones who have joined me in tours of some of the key sites in the books.

            So far, I have explored the well-known legends of King Arthur, Merlin and the mighty sword Excalibur—all fairly well known—in The Excalibur Parchment. The Lucifer Scroll delves into the lesser-known story of the Spear of Destiny, or Holy Lance and its accompanying legends. The Lance was the one used by the Roman Centurions in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to the legends, the one who controlled the Lance would control the world. Certainly, Charlemagne (and his successors as Holy Roman Emperor) believed it, as did Napoleon and Adolf Hitler.

            Then I came across the legend of Prince Madoc. He was the son of King Owain of Gwynedd in North Wales. As the other sons fought over succession to the throne, Madoc went his own way and turned to the sea. Leaning on the knowledge and experience of both Welsh and Irish fishermen who’d long fished in the western ocean (now known as the Atlantic) and, course, Viking predecessors, Madoc was intrigued by the stories of a fair land to the west. In due course, Madoc sailed west with two ships, found the land and returned to Wales. He immediately outfitted ten ships and sailed west with a colony of settlers. Madoc was never heard of again. But legends grew that he landed in Mobile Bay, Alabama and penetrated the continent. Stories abounded that light-skinned, taller native tribes in the interior spoke a language similar to Welsh. There are excavations of native settlements that, once exposed, look more like stone buildings surrounded by stone walls. European type settlements in places such structures had never before known. More stories abounded. In 1799, six skeletons were found in Kentucky, along with bronze shields supposedly with Welsh coats of arms. The stories were sufficiently strong that President Jefferson (himself of Welsh heritage) charged Meredith Lewis (also Welsh heritage) with tracking down the ‘Welsh-speaking Indians’ as part of the mighty Lewis and Clark expedition. Some historians and archaeologists pooh-pooh all this.

            But, as they say, where there’s smoke there’s fire. Because we don’t know something today, does not mean it does not and never did, exist.

            So, legend and history form the basis for yet another exploration. Did Madoc exist? Did he set out to cross the Atlantic? Did he and his followers land in and explore America, eventually dying or intermarrying with the native tribes, never to return to Wales? Something, I thought, worth exploring.

            When I started writing The Prince Madoc Secret, I planned it as the third in the trilogy, I called The Oak Grove Conspiracies. My characters, however, tell the story; I am the mere recorder. They decided that while the story is complete as it stands, it is not finished. What happens with the legend of Madoc in the United States? Did he, in fact, travel into the interior? Did his people integrate with the indigenous peoples? Were they the ones who constructed stone fortifications and towns?

 If I listen to my characters, they still have more to tell.

The power of reading: it changes lives

The Power of reading: It changes lives

On Saturday I spent the morning selling my novels at an author’s event that was part of a farmer’s market. I (and the other authors around me) were taken aback by the number of people who brushed us off, proudly proclaiming as they did so that they can’t be bothered with reading, or don’t read at all, or as middle aged lady said to me, it’s a waste of time.

And I thought of my grandson.

Joshua is nine. He was born with what is called a congenital heart defect.  In his lifetime he has had a myriad of health issues, including a major stroke, and four open heart surgeries plus other procedures, tests and medical interventions too numerous to mention.

Through it all, Joshua has been a happy child. He has a wicked sense of humour, teases, laughs, and generally enjoys life.

But the past six months have been difficult for him. He is now beginning to realize the physical and other limitations place on him by his health issues.  Where other kids ran and romped in the playground, he was ostracized because he was “too slow” and just plain not good enough. In this sports-mad culture, that’s a huge downer. And he was having medication issues which caused him to be unfocused. Earlier this month things got so bad he was taken to the hospital. Our great fear and the cardiac doctor’s worry, was that his heart was failing yet again. Certainly the symptoms pointed to cardiac failure. But the echo and other tests showed that there was no change in his heart; it wasn’t failing. So, what was it? That’s when the diagnosis of circumstantial depression.

 A once happy, funny, smiling kid was now sad, unfocused, and generally withdrawing from life. But the past week has seen an enormous change is this fabulously courageous and wise child.

He discovered the joy of reading. He discovered that being good at soccer and basketball—as much as he wanted it—was not the all-important thing he thought it was. Reading was able to take him to new places, to discover new worlds and engage in living a variety of new lives.

Now I won’t lie to you. These are kids’  graphic novels (what we used to call comic books). But they mean the world to him.  He devoured first one, then another. And proudly proclaimed to his mom and dad that these books “changed my life!”

But graphic novels will soon be displaced in his reading lists by regular books. I remember being entranced as a child by the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. And the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis.

I was no good at sports either. But those and other books opened new vistas for me and led me into an eventual career in journalism and communications and, in the last few years, as a novelist.

But, just as with Joshua, it started with one book. One book that led to another and another, that changed my life and pulled aside the curtain of my ‘normal’ life, taking me to places I’d never imagined.  I met fascinating new people, was challenged by outrageous villains and saw them conquered. As my reading list grew, I traveled beyond earth to new universes and I time-jumped from the medieval times of knights and kings to future visions of what earth would be.

A waste of time? I wish that woman had been willing to engage with me so that I could tell her this story.

On Sunday, I traveled to Toronto where Joshua’s father is the Senior Pastor at a church celebrating its anniversary. Following the morning service there was an outdoor BBQ and party with lots of fun for the kids. Reading has indeed changed Joshua’s life. The sad kid seemed to be gone. He ran around, played, participated—including getting ‘pied’ in a pie tossing event. 

His smile had returned. His world was changed from darkness and sadness to fun again, to excitement, to participation, to joy.

Sure, there are some other factors contributing, including a tweak of his meds. But he himself knew that it was books that made the magical difference.

The power of reading;  It does indeed change lives!

Living in a Black and White World

A black and white world

                I am living in a black and white world. 

                I am shocked, saddened, and baffled by this. I see the world in full, glorious God-given colour. But so many of the people around me, particularly on social media, see only in black and white.

                No colour. No shades. Not even greys. Stark black and stark white.

                I see it in the US election campaign and its aftermath. The black and white view of whatever political persuasion is quite simply “if  you disagree with my view, you obviously support the other candidate.” A byproduct of that simplistic viewpoint is that it is always followed by “oh yeah, well your candidate is worse” followed by a lengthy discourse of so-called facts that, in reality, are not facts, but merely oft-repeated opinions. It happened when Trump supporters were challenged: Oh yeah, well Clinton and/or Obama are worse.” It happened when Clinton supporters were challenged: “Oh yeah, well Trump is worse.” Discourse and discussion? No. Childish playground arguing? Yes.

                Black and white. No acknowledgement that the truth might be somewhere in the middle. No recognition that one side or the other might have valid positions or arguments. Black and white.

                Each side refuses to allow the other the freedom of speech because they are “wrong” even though, in the next breath, they pontificate about preserving the principle of free speech. Black and white.

                It’s not just politics. Blanket condemnations and opinions are accepted as fact without research or careful, thoughtful consideration of the alternative arguments. Black and white.

                Climate change is real. Climate change is a fraud. Black and white.

                Muslims are evil terrorists.  Muslims are peaceful and trustworthy. Black and white.

                Evangelicals are right-wing nutbars. Evangelicals are loving disciples of God. Black and white.

                Trump is another Hitler, the devil incarnate. Trump is the Messiah. Black and white.

                It even extends to such mundane areas as sports although that at least is understandable

                But I believe in colour, in nuances, in conversation not confrontation. I have been insulted, called filthy names, been threatened and even lost friends because they said black and I said white.

                What a sad state of affairs and how pathetic that we who live in an age when information is available to us, are often no more intelligent than ignorant peasants of the 13^th century..

                I live in a black and white world. 

                But I will speak in colour. 

                I live in a black and white world but I refuse to accept it or condone it. I live in a black and white world but I will bring colour into it.

Seduced by power: evangelicals and the election

Seduced by power

The increasing tension, bitterness, anger and outright hatred permeating the US election is a sad reflection of our times.

But it was also predictable.

It was predictable the moment a number of prominent American evangelical leaders determined that political power was the only route to ensuring that their goals of establishing a “Christian” nation would succeed. The gathered together and created groups like The Moral Majority. They became involved in the political system at the grassroots level. They beat the streets for their chosen candidates at local, state and federal levels. They courted the media. They raised millions of dollars, aware that the only functional way to gain access to the higher political spectrum was to create PAC’s (Political Action Committees) that are the funding arm of any campaign. They aligned themselves with conservative values not only in social areas but later in fiscal policy and foreign affairs. 

As the conservative movement grew in power and prestige, more zealous—and therefore more dedicated and active—arms began to appear. One such group called itself the Tea Party after a rebellious action just before the Revolution. The name symbolized their disgust with the quid pro quo of American politics and a desire for change.

And as these political groups grew in power and influence so too did their recognition that they needed a broad power base to draw upon. For a variety of philosophical reasons they realized that groups like The Moral Majority were, broadly-speaking, like minded. So they courted the evangelical base in the United States recognizing that this could be a powerful and influential group. The two disenchanted wings of American society were growing closer together.

Evangelical leaders like James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and others aligned themselves closer and closer with this wing of political America. They embraced the celebrity it gave them. They enjoyed the power and influence it gave them. They were at the pinnacle not only of church life, but at the pinnacle of public prestige and impact. They loved the opportunities to appear on national television news outlets even though they privately abhorred the ‘liberal’ media. They actively sought and obtained platforms in the media to spread their message. And to be fair, a lot of the time it was a spiritual message. Their words pointed to the disintegration of the family at the hands of social re-engineering; they emphasized the importance of personal faith in all aspects of life and called for their supporters to express that faith publicly.

Nothing wrong with that.

But as that army began to grow, darker forces and attitudes also came along. Dissent of any kind became a fuse point. The concept of “us” versus “them” and the need—make that demand that you support “us”—leaped to the forefront of dialogue. No longer was discussion or debate to be tolerated. Rather, there developed a lockstep mindset. And out of that grew anger and discontent. And out of that grew Donald Trump and some of the other candidates for the Republican nomination.

That same mindset enveloped the Democrats as well. The siege mentality grew and anger at Trump and the Republicans has grown exponentially.

Nobody has come out of this election campaign smelling of anything other than rotting putrid garbage. The furor is particularly antagonistic towards the mainstream media with its largely unsubstantiated charges of collusion, corruption, bias and so on. But I think the greater finger of accusation should be pointed at social media. Yes, you Twitter, Facebook, Instagram et al.

 

You want to see venom? Check out the responses to posts for or against Trump. You want to see hatred in its purest unadulterated form, challenge a Trump supporter on Donald’s words and demonstrative behaviour.

And, worst of all, is that evangelical Christians are most likely to be the source of such venom and anger. Don’t believe it? Check out the worst, most angry posts and then check out the person writing them. Words like “idiot”, “liar!”, and “brain dead” are the least painful of the insults coming from supposed followers of Christ.

Instead of reasoned dialogue and debate on issues, the discussion turns into a childish school yard insulting match; “oh yeah? Well your candidate is worse.” What a drop of reasoning and intelligence in this age when we are so supposed to the be the most informed generation ever!

For outsiders like me looking in, the whole campaign is one of “shake-your-head-I-can’t-believe-what-I’m-seeing-and-hearing !”

What went wrong?

I suggest that those evangelical leaders made an unwise and ungodly decision to embrace the world’s level of power rather than God’s. They forsook the future for the now. They were not content with following God’s plan or God’s timing. They, probably quite sincerely, believed that action by man was needed. In many ways that’s what many followers of Jesus were expecting him to do. As the King he was expected to overthrow the Roman occupation. They were shocked to discover that this was never God’s plan all along. Or how about the Israelites? Not content with waiting upon God despite all the blessings he had bestowed, the Israelites demanded a King so they could deal with temporal matters themselves.. So God gave them Saul and what a disaster that turned out to be.

I say all this election furor was predictable because any time man turns to and puts trust in man-created power, it is a recipe for disaster. The finest of goals and hopes may become subverted by others who have far different motivations and goals. Fame beguiles like a moth to the flame. Its sinewy tendrils gently, then firmly entrap. Adulation, money, fame and power become an addicting aphrodisiac. The core motivations begin slipping away into a vague misty reflection of what was once strong and vibrant.

In the blink of an eye, the individual and his followers have been seduced by power—the world’s power.

And for many of those evangelical leaders, the seduction is almost complete. They are willing to bury or at least ignore, their core spiritual beliefs to preserve the political path they’ve embarked upon. They downplay or excuse away behaviour that diametrically opposes all that they believe and have preached for decades. And which in the past has drawn their scorn and condemnation. The world has become their oyster at the expense of the ministries they founded and nurtured; their followers are left with two choices—agree, or fall away disappointed and disillusioned.

This is the sad reality of what I’ve seen happening in the United States. Once vibrant and important ministries based on solid Christian principles and teaching, pulled into a morass of political nightmares. Excuses instead of loving gentle reproof. Disenchantment grips hold of supporters and then anger and enmity toward those who disagree as the ministry becomes a pawn in the “us against them” battle; my leader, right or wrong.

I am saddened by this seduction that has taken root in so many good solid ministries; ministries that so many have looked up to for so long. I very much fear that these excellent ministries may have suffered irreparable damage to their reputations thanks to their leaders forsaking ministry for power.

No matter who wins this election, surely it is time for to turn away from the seductive snare of political power and concentrate on the real source of power, God. Speak up against immorality and sin by all means. Just don’t become seduced to one political party or philosophy at the expense of your soul.

I stand back to receive the torrent of anger and abuse.