Reflections on the Novel, Revelation

Last night, I finished reading Peggy Payne's novel, Revelation.  It was quite a bit more gritty and earthy than I expected it to be.  Since it's the story of a pastor who hears God's voice, I assumed it was going to fall into the tame Christian fiction genre.  I was wrong about that.

It's the story of Swain Hammond, a confused, and very human pastor who starts hearing a voice -- and thinks it belongs to God.  It comes at unexpected times -- and doesn't make much sense to him -- but gives him a fresh revelation of spiritual realities, as well as new courage to move beyond his normally cautious and rational behaviors.

Swain's attempts to explain these "God-encounters", leave his wife befuddled, and his skeptical congregation scratching their heads, and wondering if he is losing his mind.

Coming to grips with an accidental blinding of a young boy on the church property brings everything to a head.

As the fascinating tale unfolds, the troubled pastor begins to explore who he really is, with lots of quirky detours along the way.  Revelation is an interesting read, packed with good grist for personal reflection about matters of faith, relationships, and why we act the way we do.