The Traveler's Gift Fails to Arrive at the Gospel

The Fiction Story:

The Traveler’s Gift is a short, simple story. That’s the kind of story I like to read. I think you do too. There is not a lot of back story and it gets into the main character's struggle right off. David Ponder used to be a rising executive in a fortune 500 company until a corporate takeover left him struggling with a part time minimum wage job. Then he learns what everyone without CEO in front of their name already knows, one unplanned doctor bill is big trouble.

Two short chapters cause us to care for his predicament and then the meat of the story begins. As a result of crashing his car on an icy bridge, David finds himself traveling through time to meet seven historical characters who each have a word of advice for him. The advice is poised as lifestyle choices. That is why the subtitle of the book is Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success.

If you are as skeptical as I am, you just heard the whipping of red flags. Good job. You do have cause to be skeptical, but that’s for the next section. For now, let’s keep on the fiction side of the story.

I liked how an intriguing science fiction concept was used to lay out all of its points. Although it was very formulaic the book maintained a forward thrust. After each decision was presented, David Pondered traveled. We only knew that we would travel seven times, we got to look forward to the era, location, who the historical character would be and what the next decision would be.

After all seven decisions were presented, David Ponder got to go forward into the future and see the result of keeping to the seven decisions. Needless to say the outcome was great. As the subtitle of the book begs us to believe, following the seven decisions leads to “personal success.” Well, at least it did for fictional character, David Ponder.

If you want to know what the seven decisions are, you will need to read the book. Just kidding. They are in the next section.

The Gospel Story:

Here are the seven decisions “gifted” to David Ponder, and just for fun, the historical characters that he got them from.

1. The buck stops here – Harry Truman

2. I will seek wisdom - King Solomon

3. I am a person of action – Joshua Chamberlain, a colonel in the Civil War

4. I have a decided heart - Christopher Columbus

5. Today I will choose to be happy – Anne Frank

6. I will great this day with a forgiving spirit –Abraham Lincoln

7. I will persist without exception – Archangel Gabriel

Well, what can be said? It's definitely not the gospel. It's really not even the beneficial Christian concepts and themes that we find in most Christian Fiction. The Traveler's Gift is centered in will power, positive thinking, and self determination.

Sadly a look on Amazon shows that Christianity is one of its sales categories. Also, remember, I found it in my church library. If not for those two thing, I suppose, I would have a lot less of an issue with the book. There is not necessarily anything wrong with self help books in general, especially if they bestow good, solid and wise advice. If the wisdom is rooted in God’s word, then it is all the better. There is something very wrong with this book though; it is marketed as Christian Fiction, but in no certain terms is it rooted in God's word.

Maybe you read the seven decisions and you're wondering what the problem is. Ah, that’s the subtleness of its error. Context is everything. After each decision point a brief motivational declaration is made and that is where this story pulls the context of each statement even farther away from Christianity. The declarations are sharply self-centered, inwardly powered, and selfishly motivated.

I was trying to think of a way to convey the overall contextual mood of this book by using a quote from the book itself. I think the answer is found in two words on the front cover. Personal Success.

Read these quotes from the book while keeping in mind those words from the cover, “Personal Success.”

“I will freely give my vision for the future to others and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me.” Decision four.

“From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.” Decision six.

“I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future that I believed.” Decision seven

After the seventh meeting, the one with the Archangel Gabriel, the messenger of God, whose only message was to persist without exception, David was privileged to travel into the future to see the fruit of following the seven decisions and teaching them to others. In that chapter the disconnection with Christianity and the full embrace of the gospel of personal success is illustrated. David discovered that he had become a wealthy spiritual leader. Among other accolades his name was on a sky scrapper and a boulevard was named after him. All of this because he made a religion out of seven declarative statements... as if one can't follow the same path and experience personal failure, as if happiness, persistence and wisdom can prevent corporate take overs.

The inside flap of the book asks this question; What is the difference between failure and success? To sum it up the book says the answer is self determination and will power. I want to ask you, and Andy Andrews a few different questions. What is personal success? Why is it desirable? Are the answers compatible with the teachings of the Bible?

~Enjoy your next book, and remember Christ, the editor of hearts and the author of salvation.