A Walk Right Past The Gospel

The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans

The Fiction Story

Charles James is a crafty businessman who has it all, and if he does not have it, he can talk you in to giving it to him. He only lacks one thing, something he can't get from any other soul- peace.

His wealth was made legally, but the small print gets to him. He sells how-to wealth-making programs to people who's dreams and greed are bigger than their sense of practicality. While he enjoys the money, his troubles mount in the form of lives ruined along the way.

Charles learns that he was the very first casualty. His own dreams and greed came at a great cost, the greatest being his ex-wife, as well as the son he never met. There is also a haunting, reoccurring dream, a strong premonition of walking a broken road with sirens and fire all around him. An old retired colleague with 20/20 vision warns him that such a life is not worth the cost and urges him to give it up at once. Something must break.

Something does break. Charles' busy path of catching plans, answering phones and hitting the stage to sell the next wild dream comes to an alarming halt. He misses a plane that crashes soon after takeoff, killing all on-board. The story ends when Charles takes the unimaginable opportunity to leave his successful but lacking life behind. He turns back to the last time he remembers being happy, but that itself will be a long walk down a broken road.

The Christian Story

The jacket cover promises redemption and grace. There is a lot to be redeemed, and a lot of grace needed concerning Charles James. However, in this readers opinion, those promises remain unfulfilled in the true sense. I'll explain.

The main character acknowledges God from time to time, and an appropriately placed bible verse appears here and there, but such occurrences diminish in frequency and meaning by the end of the book. Early on, when life was hard, Charles would remind himself, "God loves me." As of late, with a lot of money in his pocket, Charles says, "There is no God but me." It is a jarring statement, but it could also have been a perfect setup for the recognition of something quite the opposite.

At the apex of the story (see paragraph four in the fiction story section) when the promised redemption and grace would most effectively come into play and where the main character would encounter his sharpest turning point, none of the above is delivered. One would fairly expect a return to "God loves me," or perhaps a "There is a God and he's nothing like me." Instead Charles James gives all credit to "fate" and "the universe."

Because of that I say this story only illustrates a sort of sad redemption and grace, if at all. It's shiny fiction, but its candle is dim. Sadly, if all mentions of bible, god, faith and etc were removed from the story, there would be no meaningful effect. It would be the same story. It leads me to ask a question, centered in italics, larger font:

Can there be true and effectual redemption and grace if one does not understand that true redemption and grace can only come from God?

I know of another book that promises grace and redemption. Yup that was a segue to the bible. Romans 3:24 to be exact. and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Both the verse and the context that surrounds it is clear about where grace and redemption comes from, as well as why it is a free gift obtained only through faith. No hint of fate or the universe.

I'm sad for The Broken Road, because it could have been a much better work of Christian Fiction if only the main character would have come to a better conclusion concerning his circumstance, or perhaps, if the author would have been more clear about who was governing the events of Charles James life.

Benefit of the Doubt: Speaking of grace and all, it would only be fair to mention that this is the first book of a trilogy. Perhaps the full arc of Charles James redemptive story will play out over the course of the next two books. The second of which is already available: The Forgotten Road. Nevertheless, there is a rule of sorts that individual books should be able to stand on their own if need be - and in this case, needs be, as I am unlikely to read the next book, less I accrue more disappointment.

If you have read the second book, please tell me about it. Does the climax that should have already happened finally happen?

Looking for a good read? Try one of my own books or one of these Fiction Candle top recommendations.

Until next time, remember Christ the author of salvation and the reader of hearts.

#fictioncandle #redemption #grace