Terry Goodkind wrote a fantasy series called the ‘Sword of Truth’ in which one character (Richard), injured in battle, wakes to find not only his beloved wife missing but all memory of her apparently erased. (‘Chainfire’) His struggle to find her, and to remain convinced of her existence when all around him believe he is delusional and believing a lie speaks powerfully to me of faith and truth.
So often, we are brainwashed by a majority view which seems so convincing. The sheer weight of popular opinion can make it hard to swim against the tide. The Christian is called to do this on a daily basis, and what makes this even more difficult is that our own hearts are often not confident or assured. We are frequently beset by doubts, tormented by unanswered questions, buffeted by trials and temptations. External bombarding by cynics, sceptics and atheists is one thing, but the insidious questions and doubts which assail us from within can seem even worse. Does God really care? Is God really powerful AND loving? Where is God when I need Him?
The skill of the author is to take us as objective readers into a story and allow us to walk with the characters to a conclusion that sheds light on our own predicaments. Richard and Kahlan are eventually reunited. His tenacity and faith, based on the solid evidence of his life, remind us that it is possible to stand for truth in a world based on lies, however plausible the lies sound. If we are anchored to God’s truth, we can withstand the assault on faith and remain true to our Maker, Protector and Deliverer.
