Dragon Lake Books

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Acts of Random Kindness

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Evan Almighty is now available on Netflix! (In the UK at least)

Can I admit this is one of my favourite family movies?

We watched it again, for the fourth or fifth time, last week. It has classic slapstick comedy, Steve Carell at his best as the neat-freak who is forced to walk, talk and even eat with the animals: Giraffes, Alpacas, and of course… Sheeeeep!

But what gets me every time is the Acts of Random Kindness message layered into the movie.

I don’t think God does random, but then I don’t believe that God forces us either. From our perspective life can seem random at times. Events happening outwith our control, accidents or situations arising that we’d rather have avoided.

I choose to believe that God does have a plan, that our father in heaven cares deeply about our lives. If we listen to God, then we’ll find he directs us. It might be subtle, may at times be overt. I don’t believe God directs us like puppets, or causes war or suffering. No, we’re arrogant and greedy and selfish enough to do all that ourselves.

Somehow though, God knows what we’re going to do, before we do it. Whether he is just outside time and so sees the whole picture, or something equally difficult for me to understand, I guess doesn’t really matter. I get a sense sometimes, that if I were to act, that would be appropriate. If I do, usually, I’m glad I did. If I don’t, often I have a feeling of regret that I’ve missed out on an opportunity.

And perhaps we could expand on the A.R.K. acronym to include a few more acts that we could randomly do:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control…

Or maybe not so randomly?

Paul wrote to the Galatians that these things were the fruit of the Spirit.

I link this back to Jesus teaching on the vine and the branches. If we remain in Jesus and he remains in us, we will bear much fruit.

It is quite a challenge. But also a promise. And of course an opportunity…

What do you think of Evan Almighty?

Are you on the highway to hell?

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photo of the stage before Bill Bailey's Larks in Transit tour

Would you feel comfortable singing: “We’re on the highway to hell!”

Back in the 1980s, a lot of my classmates probably did. I was never into AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden or any of the popular heavy metal bands. I didn’t like the demonic imagery or lyrics and still don’t.

I get that not all of heavy metal music is focused on demons or hell, but that is the perception I had as a teenager and when last night, some 2,000 people around me burst out singing: “We’re on the highway to hell!” it really shocked me.

Maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t supposed to be though. It was supposed to be a fun evening, and mostly it was. Bill Bailey live at The Caird Hall in Dundee for his Larks in Transit tour.

I’d been a bit apprehensive, after all Bill Bailey enjoys taking a pot shot a Christians and sure enough, there were a few shots fired. But okay, I knew that was a risk going in.

He’d got us to sing a couple of songs already, I won’t spoil that part of his act, but then, right at the end, he starts playing the guitar riff for AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.

I didn’t even know what the riff was from. I didn’t listen to the music as a child and still don’t, but I’ve heard the words being sung often enough.

The highway to hell…

Do you know what that means?

The broad way, the fast way to destruction. Jesus spoke about it, recorded by Matthew: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I believe Hell is real. I know some Christians have doubts about whether God would condemn people to an eternity of suffering, but I’m not claiming that’s what Hell is.

Destruction could mean literal destruction. The reward for a lifetime of rejecting God might mean that God will ultimately reject you. That interpretation fits in with other parables Jesus told which described Hell as a rubbish dump. A place to throw out the garbage.

I find that interpretation problematic though. It means that you can be as cruel as you want. You can hurt as many people as you want. You can steal and kill and destroy and at the end of the day, there are no real consequences. Your life is snuffed out and that’s it. Where’s the justice in that?

I believe our creator is a just God. It doesn’t seem likely that we just get off the hook.

Unless…

I also believe in Heaven. I don’t subscribe to the wings and clouds fantasy. Instead I believe the prophecy in Revelation that talks about heaven coming down to earth, the earth being healed and renewed. A new heaven and a new earth. That sounds amazing. Awesome! I want to be a part of that.

Jesus spoke several times about eternal life. Life after death, abundant life, abundant eternal life. I want to have that.

Can you imagine being raised from death to face judgement and finding out how wonderful life after death is going to be, that it will be far better than our lives now can ever have been, then only to find that because you chose the highway to hell, you don’t get eternal life…

How awful would that be?

It doesn’t have to be that way for you. The highway to hell has an off ramp. You can leave it right now and exit to the narrow way, following Jesus, seeking God.

Of course, maybe destruction does mean a lake of fire. Maybe all the Stalins and Hitlers and others that we can all agree would deserve punishment will be punished. Justice. Except, who decides what justice is? You? Me? God?

It will be God.

And broad is the way that leads to destruction. And no matter what Angus or Malcolm Young or Ronald Scott wrote about your friends being there too, Hell isn’t the promised land you want to end up in.

So maybe finding out what God thinks about justice is a good idea. And what God thinks about life and death and what our purpose in life is.

If Bill Bailey is to be believed, there is no Hell so why should we worry. But what does Bill Bailey know? I like him, mostly, as a comedian. I do not put my trust in him. Instead I choose to put my trust in Jesus Christ, a name Bill Bailey mentioned at least once during his two hour act.

Jesus died and rose from death to life to prove that we will have eternal life. I put my trust in Jesus.

I encourage you to do the same, or at the very least, to look into the claims of Jesus and test them. Otherwise you might join Bill Bailey on an easy road that takes you where you didn’t really want to go.

A new target

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Photo of street map of York

I’ve taken a couple of months away from contracting to work on the sequel to Fallen Warriors and ready another book for publication. I ended up needing almost all of the first month to ready that book and was finally able to send it to the printers at the weekend and am now focusing back on Fallen Warriors.

I like big targets for my writing. Huge, seemingly impossible goals that are quite at odds with how I tackle other projects. I had in mind that I would write 5,000 words a day and produce a 100,000 word draft by the end of May, then perhaps even go on to write the first draft of the final book of the trilogy in June.

I started actually writing today and managed 1,000 words.

Considering that I’m trying to switch my gears from editing mode to creative mode, that might not be too bad. In the last month of “editing” Fallen Warriors, I actually first draft wrote most of the final chapters. They were then edited, they were proof read, but the story just flowed out as ten years of subconscious thought made itself known. That was while I was working full time.

Over four weeks I virtually wrote 2,000 words a day in three hours or less. It should be possible to write 5,000 words a day when I’m working full time at it.

In theory.

5,000 words a day seems like a goal worth pursuing. The first draft of any book doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to get the story out and since with each of my books there has been a process of rewriting and editing, I know I can and will improve on the first draft. Also, I have always needed to delete scenes and chapters. So why waste time carefully writing scenes that may eventually have to be cut?

I already know I’m not going to have all of June available, other commitments have taken priority. It might take me a week or two to get up to speed, but that’s okay. My main goal is to tell a gripping and enjoyable story. If I can do that faster, fantastic.

If it takes a bit longer, that’s also okay. I’ll be posting daily updates from Thursday onwards. Tomorrow is a different kind of day, but more about that later…