Julie here. This month, the CSFF Blog Tour is reviewing Beckon by Tom Pawlik (blog, Facebook, Twitter). The cover reads (rather compellingly) "COME. AND LIVE FOREVER."
I'm not interested in vampires at all, yet I've found immortal characters fascinating ever since I read Tuck Everlasting, which touches on some of the technical problems with living forever (such as needing to move to new places every so often because people get freaked out you never change...never mind potential loneliness). Immortality has certainly been a popular theme in recent fiction (see the Sorcerer's Stone/Philosopher's Stone in Harry Potter, all of Twilight, etc.).
Some of these stories involve gaining immortality with ease. Others (including Beckon) have a very, very, very steep cost.
What would you do to live forever? As a Christian, I think the story is more, what would Christ do to give you eternal life, and will you accept it?
Check back tomorrow for a review. And check out the others on the tour!
Noah Arsenault
Julie Bihn
Thomas Clayton Booher
Thomas Fletcher Booher
Beckie Burnham
Brenda Castro
Theresa Dunlap
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Janeen Ippolito
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Leighton
Rebekah Loper
Katie McCurdy
Shannon McDermott
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Joan Nienhuis
Faye Oygard
Crista Richey
Kathleen Smith
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Shane Werlinger
*I received a copy of Beckon at no cost from Tyndale in exchange for a review/promotion.
Great question. For the Christian earthly immortality as a vampire or other immortal is an annoying delay before you can get to eternal bliss. (I hate it when that happens.)
ReplyDeleteNice thoughts, Nissa. Makes me think of Paul a bit in Philippians 1:21-25 (this is the old NIV):
ReplyDeleteFor to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
So not only was Paul himself a little torn, but I can imagine an evangelist, say, drinking a bottle of water from Tuck Everlasting to be able to spread the gospel more. Though for one with a strong faith, like you said, that earthly immortality would really be a sacrifice more than a blessing. Fascinating; I hadn't quite thought of it like that!