It's true that Christian fiction as I knew it growing up was a bit on the, well, I'll just say it - cheesy side. And, really, while it's not all bad, it can feel a little hokey. Do you know what I'm saying or am I totally offending you right now? Francine Rivers has found a way to marry the truth and beauty of the love of our Heavenly Father with some real-life issues and believable characters.
Redeeming Love is based on the Biblical book of Hosea, focusing on the life of Angel, a prostitute in California during the Gold Rush. Snapshots of Angel's heartbreaking past are given throughout the book, making it obvious why her profession and subsequent bitterness and hopelessness are inseperable to her view of herself. Enter into her life Michael Hosea, a kind, honest, God-honoring farmer. Following what he believes to be God's prompting, he brings a reluctant (to put it mildly) Angel home to be his wife. What follows are a tangled web of emotions that result as Michael attempts to break through Angel's defenses and share his love and the love of the God he faithfully and joyfully serves. Angel cannot see herself or him any other way than through the lens of her past experiences, starting from her childhood, and she cannot/will not accept that she could be in any way lovable. Several times she leaves Michael to return to her former lifestyle, believing that is all she is capable of. Eventually he begins to break through her defenses but until the Father can capture her heart, she cannot fully heal and commit her heart to her husband.
I found myself angry and frustrated with Angel for her stubbornness, in tears for her pain-ravaged past and present, amazed anew at the love of God as He works always to draw even the most destitute of us to Himself.
BOTTOM LINE: A TRUE love story
No comments:
Post a Comment