We live in an age and time when we're often more likely to emphasize and get stuck on being right than on understanding the point of view of another person. During the election season, most conservatives read conservative blogs , while liberals read liberal blogs , and neither group gets very good at really listening to the other. The same thing is often true in religious circles; several times in the past week I've had progressive friends lament the upcoming discussions they'd have with their conservative family members. It seems to be a rare individual who really "gets" people on the other side of the proverbial fence. ...
I recently finished reading a not-yet-released novel by Nina Killham, Believe Me , and after reading it I suspect that she might be one of these rare folks. Her novel, which comes out in January, is told from the perspective and in the voice of Nic, a thirteen year-old boy who is an only child. Nic lives with his mother, Lucy, an astrophysicist and a devout atheist who has very little tolerance for matters of faith. She's very content to study the stars, live a good life, and do the best that she can as a mom.
Nic, on the other hand, is at that age in life where he's forming an identity of his own. He befriends the local pastor of a small independent church, a Nigerian man named Dele, and begins secretly attending a Bible study at his best friend's house. Of course, it's not long before Lucy finds out about everything, and things begin to spiral out of control in her world. Life for the two of them gets ever more interesting when Dele ends up living with them in a spare bedroom, and everyone is forced to rethink a few of their long-held attitudes, beliefs, and habits about many topics.
Late in the book, tragedy strikes the family, and Nic and Lucy struggle to maintain their belief systems in the midst of the pain. Ultimately, the story becomes a meditation on faith, love, loyalty, gratitude, and compassion—values that transcend any one particular worldview or religious expression.
It would be easy for a book like this to become filled with stereotypes, playing on our emotional trigger points or strongly emphasizing one worldview as "correct." (After all, Nic is named for Nicolas Copernicus , and Lucy is the name of a famous fossil hominid.) Fortunately, Believe Me presents each of these contrasting belief systems as positive, well-considered, and fully meaningful to those who hold them. Progressive Christians who have "converted" from a more traditional view will likely find much they understand or even resonate with in both Lucy and those from the church. Anyone who works with youth will thoroughly enjoy the rather precocious Nic, whose unique perspectives on life are a fresh way to approach some common themes (though at times you will think him just a bit too wise for his age.) The book would be great for a community or church book club , a church library, a gift for a teacher, or just for your own late-night reading. I encourage you to preorder a copy today. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.
~ Tim Gossett