When fiction mirrors reality

Over a decade ago, Lynne and I started writing Ghost Heart, a haunting story about albinos and black market organs. About that same time, we started planning a second book, Port of Origin, about a virus that gets loose on a humanitarian ship after the ship is taken over by pirates. With busy writing schedules, we finally finish Ghost Heart in 2017, and a few months later, made time to start squeezing in Port of Origin. 

The story simply wouldn't let us go.

Fast forward to December 2019. We were finally finishing up Port of Origin and planning the next two books in the series, when we started hearing news reports about a virus that was sweeping across China. News reports started coming more frequently. A cruise ship was put in quarintene. The virus continued to spread like wildfire across the globe. Borders were shut down. It was chilling to see the news unfolding with so many similarities to our fictional story, both Port of Origin and the rest of the series that follows.

Today, we are facing a world wide pandemic, and I feel like I'm living in one of my novels. Yet, in the midst of the spread of the coronavirus, the world is asking questions. The world needs hope. I'm going to guess you need hope too. Because I know I do. 

So many uncertainties.

And I'll admit it, so much anxiety.

I started thinking today about how often I have talked about trials, tragedy and hope over the past decade on my blog. How most of the books I write, deal with those very questions. And how on a personal level, how I still sometimes question and ask God, 'Where are you?'

Our stories are scary. Very scary. But they also have hope. Because while it seems like everything has changed because of this pandemic, nothing has really changed at all. Life is fragile and unpredictable. Tragedy strikes unexpectedly. And yet one thing holds constant.

God.

Tragedies like right now with the coronavirus demonstrate the reality of a fallen world, and it’s pretty clear that none of us are immune from suffering. But God’s plan has always been a plan of redemption. While God is capable of fixing our problems, He chose instead to rescue and redeem humankind permanently with His son.

We never expected reality to take some of the twists our story does, and we know that there are no easy, pat answers to what people are experiencing right now. I'm currently half way around the world from my three kids and struggling to get to them. Nothing is going to be fixed overnight, but I can hold onto the promise that God will walk with us through the bad times. 

Lynne's Carthage Chronicles series is a reminder of that. Historians believe the threat of the third century Plague of Cyprian finally turned when a few brave souls began to bring the sick to one central place and risked their lives to care for them. The process of isolation caused the plague that was killing 5,000 a day to eventually die out. As crazy as it seems, somehow, when bad things happen, we start to see God’s grace. We start to dig deeper. Often it takes trauma to get someone searching for God. And hard times give us compassion toward others, deeper love, and more courage. 

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NLT)