Blink of an Eye

Blink of an Eye, by Ted Dekker.

I thought a good fiction novel would be better than starting off with something heavy and theological, which is another genre I have been interested in reading lately.

This book interested me for many reasons. First of all, everyone is reading all of Ted Dekker's books, and this one I picked up for $5. Also, it is an action-adventure type book, that has a male-female pair of (romantic) lead characters. Everyone knows that when you are running for your life and dodging bullets, the first thing on your mind is, do you get to kiss the girl? And third, amazon had the first chapter online, and I had time.

So basically, Seth and Miriam are the main characters. Seth is not a usual male lead because he doesn't fit into his world, doesn't often dress well, and is somewhat geeky. During the scene in the desert where he rips his shirt off, of course, he suddenly is muscular, presumably from the surfing he did when he was younger, despite not having been surfing in over three years because of college (bachelor's in two years, and almost done with a doctorate- did I mention he is incredibly smart?). Miriam is a Saudi princess who grows in strength and willfulness as the story progresses. Eventually, when she leaves the story, she is convinced that too many Arab men are dogs who view women as possessions and baby-makers, and she is fed up, longing for the freedom that can be found in America.

Of course, the story wouldn't be much fun if she were in Saudi Arabia and he were in California. Naturally we have to get them together. She becomes a political refugee running from a threatened coup, and he discovers he has a special power to see the future, or multiple futures. He saves her life several times because of this power, as they are chased across California and through the Mojave desert by six different entities, both foreign and American.

Love. That is the key word. Despite the intense, almost non-stop action, love is a prevailing theme in the book. Because of Seth's brilliant mind, he has been able to establish for himself the idea that God cannot exist, and yet, has read the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, and the Talmud, cover to cover. He concludes that Jesus was the greatest prophet, because the Bible and the Koran declare him to be without sin. In the end, after several events lead him to question his conclusions, he and Miriam determine that love is the most important thing in the world, because how can you kill your neighbor, if you love him like you love yourself (the second greatest commandment made by Jesus, the greatest prophet)?

Another element that was more subtle but which I found interesting was that Seth sometimes seemed to be guilty of hubris (in my eyes anyway). The most obvious is his insight into the future, with infinite, mind-boggling possibilities, and his quick, brilliant mind. Because of his knowledge of the future, or actually all possible futures, he is able to manipulate situations for favorable outcomes, sometimes including using his choice of words to influence other people. He also acts cocky, although in some cases it is only an act. But the most common example of this is Miriam's constant reference to him as her savior. He IS her savior (he rescued her, like 50 times, in the story) but when he reminds her of it, it makes me want to hold my breath and wait for the lightning to strike.

Still, it made me think of my relationship with MY Savior. At one point or another it was as thrilling and exciting as Miriam's is with Seth, although not quite so dangerous. The spontaneity, not knowing what was coming next, was exciting, and the sometimes crazy plans that came my way only added to it. As Miriam traveled, she and Seth would pick each other's brains, trying to think of things in new ways and see new angles, much in the same way that I was always finding new angles with my Savior. Somewhere along the line though, the excitement disappeared. I suppose no one can live on an adrenaline rush forever; eventually the adrenal gland (physical or metaphorical) will decide it hates you and go on strike.

The story of Miriam falling in love with her savior, and her savior with her, was enchanting to me, and thrilling. It has inspired me to patch things up with MY Savior.

And thats all I have to say about that. I hate conclusions. I'd rather just stop talking when I'm done talking.