to The Shavad…
“It’s a total immersion
experience that we live.”
(from Brian Myers, author of The Upward Fall )
Dear Thomas,
Where do I begin? Your story had a deep and profound impact in my life. In many ways it felt like it was written just for me…
Three things especially struck me about your work.
→ First, this is a story of redemption… I’ll never forget your description of Mahrona’s final response to Cavendus’s continued trickery; she was “astounded by deeper pity she felt for the man.” This leaps from the page… We see in her the fruit of divine compassion but also of divine wisdom: “You say you’ve changed. I take you at your word… Go, Cavendus—and be wise among the wise, brave among the brave.” Wow.
I’ll also never forget the final desert storm that overwhelmed Shava. It was the severe mercy of the One we all meet in this upward-falling life… This storm defined and consummated Shava’s life—and our lives. As Jamin says, “I don’t say it will be pleasant. More storms will blast—worse storms.” To which Shava replies, “I hope I wouldn’t cower or cringe before them. Or be a fool; if the maker of storms intends to send us more—I wish to ride them, not fight them.” He took the words right out of my heart.
The consuming fire himself, the Love that made the worlds—as C. S. Lewis called this One—out-mans Rugo, Bolus, Kallion, Tundus, Roman legions, Mithra—all creation. And I wanted to be his man, to weather his ordeals.
→ Second—this is a story which itself changes us, which is one reason the length is necessary. It’s transformative because it’s a total immersion experience that we live… The best of the Roman military traditions became a part of me, and from there it was a simple matter for you as the writer to pass the baton to God, leaving us with a whole new perspective and picture of his ways. Somehow this story is a synergy of mythology and history, a story whose lessons take on mythic proportions that are life-changing.
→ And third: this is a powerful work celebrating general grace … from the heroic characters to the chapter epigraphs to the heavenly signs to much else. As such, combined with the breadth and depth of its redemptive sweep…it grounds us in our faith, confirms its universality, and woos the unbelieving. Yet in some ways it’s a bait-and-switch that equally—and most importantly (somehow) redemptively—reminds us of our depravity. Far from simplistic clichés, the truth-in-tension of this juxtaposition creates a rich pathos that brings us to our knees.
There’s so much more (I’ll soon be rereading it), but I think this story is summed up best when Jamin tells Tundus and Mahrona (regarding their newly written history of the Parthian War), “You have crafted a masterpiece.”
Thomas, thank you for the power— in this orphaned pastor’s life—of what you’ve written.
Brian