My novel Solitary Man is ultimately about the Gospel and the importance of proclaiming its message to the world, but it also shows how a friendship develops between two men with conflicting worldviews. I wanted the relationship between Doyle and Jonathan to be the true crux of the story, an unbeliever and a believer knowing each other, learning from each other, and eventually coming to care for the well-being of each other. Sometimes their conflicting worldviews cause disagreement between them, but neither man lets that get in the way of their developing friendship.
Now that our nation is on fire with riots and destruction, and modern day brown-shirts pump their fists while demanding everyone around them think exactly like they do, the message I’ve woven into Solitary Man becomes nearly prescient. It is crucial for followers of Christ to cherish the image-bearers who disagree with them, to love our neighbors. In fact, according to Jesus himself, it is the second greatest commandment after loving God (Matthew 22:34-40).
And how do I love my neighbor? The second table of the Ten Commandments focuses on this, starting with the command to honor your parents, by far the closest “neighbors” for most folks. We may think the next command, “do not murder,” comes easy for most, but since Jesus equated hatred with murder (Matthew 5:21-22), we all have to admit we’re guilty from time to time. The same goes for the command against adultery since Jesus said lust is exactly the same (Matthew 5:27-28), showing that sin is not always an action, but often a word in our mouths or a thought in our heads. And of course, who hasn’t stolen in one way or another? Who hasn’t lied? Who hasn’t looked at what someone else has and wanted it so badly, they would take it from them? I believe coveting is a gateway sin, something that develops in the heart and mind, unknown to the world until it leads us to violate another commandment (stealing, adultery, murder, etc.)
Now that we’ve done a quick rundown of the Ten Commandments that involve loving our neighbor, many folks, myself included, realize just how far we fall from meeting God’s standard. Overall, I am a failure at loving my neighbor, so what is a man to do? What do I do to deal with the sin and failure that stands between me and God? The apostle Paul encourages us Christians in Colossians 3:5-11 to put our sin to death. In other words, he’s saying to love God so much that our sinful desires become dead to us, unholy bloated corpses of deceit that we absolutely do not want in our lives as we engage with our holy Lord.
For the unbeliever who realizes just how far short he or she has fallen, a lifeline is offered via the Gospel, the fact that God sent His only son Jesus to pay for sin by dying on the cross.
Jesus then offered eternal life by rising from the dead, conquering death. We do not hope in our ability to uphold God’s law, because, as we’ve seen above, we are abject failures from the start. Instead, we hope in the glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior. As I do this (and hope you do as well), I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 7:24-25a, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Thank you, Lord, for this precious lifeline.
Ten years after a brutal war, cannibals and humans fight over the pieces of a hardscrabble existence. Former Navy SEAL Doyle has been prowling the broken remnants of a devastated America for years. Alone in an armored bus loaded with weapons and supplies, he’s grateful for his solitude. Being alone makes it easier to survive, as others can become liabilities. But when a vicious cannibal attack leaves Doyle in need of fuel and repairs, he has no choice but to venture into the nearest settlement.
Jonathan has been pastoring a small church in that same settlement, and when he meets Doyle, he sees an opportunity to expand his ministry. Cannibals have kept everyone from traveling, but Doyle’s armored transport brings hope to Jonathan and his church. The two men strike a mutually beneficial bargain, but neither of them realizes this journey will change them both in ways they could never have imagined as Doyle’s unbelief collides with Jonathan’s faith.
As they look to establish churches in other settlements, they battle cannibals, militant atheists, and a mysterious super soldier with dark secrets. Solitary Man is a gritty, action-packed post-apocalyptic story with a solidly Biblical worldview.
I was thirteen years old when I realized I was a writer. Once I had this realization, I grabbed a spiral notebook and began filling it with all the stories bumping around in my head. I was young and inexperienced, and therefore terrible, but the ideas kept coming and I kept improving as a writer. As a shy and withdrawn kid living in West Virginia, writing became the best outlet to express myself, and I exploited it as much as I could.
As an adult, I wrote less frequently, usually due to my procrastinating nature, but the ideas never went away. Many of them are still with me, waiting for me to introduce them to the world. And now, someone has looked at my writing and deemed it worthy of investing time, money and effort in order to share it with the masses.
I now live in New Hampshire with my wife Kristen and my son Nathan. I’m excited to begin a new chapter in my life that involves doing something I’ve always loved. There’s never been a moment that I felt like I wasn’t a writer, but the journey of a writer is often discouraging more than it is encouraging. This means I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with you. Thank you for your interest and support.