Since the loss of his lively, charming wife to cancer six years ago, minister Paul Tobit has been operating on autopilot, performing his religious duties by rote. Everything changes the day he enters the church lobby and encounters a radiant, luminous being lit from behind, breathtakingly beautiful and glowing with life. An angel. For a moment Paul is so moved by his vision that he is tempted to fall on his knees and pray.
Even after he regains his focus and realizes he simply met a flesh-and-blood young man, Paul cannot shake his sense of awe and wonder. He feels an instant and overwhelming attraction for the young man, which puzzles him even as it fills his thoughts and fires his feelings. Paul has no doubt that God has spoken to him through this vision, and Paul must determine what God is calling him to do.
Thus begins a journey that will inspire Paul’s ministry but put him at odds with his church as he is forced to examine his deeply held beliefs and assumptions about himself, his community, and the nature of love.
Even after he regains his focus and realizes he simply met a flesh-and-blood young man, Paul cannot shake his sense of awe and wonder. He feels an instant and overwhelming attraction for the young man, which puzzles him even as it fills his thoughts and fires his feelings. Paul has no doubt that God has spoken to him through this vision, and Paul must determine what God is calling him to do.
Thus begins a journey that will inspire Paul’s ministry but put him at odds with his church as he is forced to examine his deeply held beliefs and assumptions about himself, his community, and the nature of love.
Review
****This book was part of a blog tour
I received a copy for my honest review****
What a shame it would be to stay
away because you were afraid it would end. What a shame it would be to miss so
much beauty.... touching
words to finish a stunning book.
Laura Lee, has written a book that
will challenge your thoughts on homosexuality within the Christian religion. It
is based around Paul, a 42 year old widow that lost his wife 6 years ago to
cancer. Since then he has lived a shell of a life and although he is a minister
in a church he really feels no inspiration to live.
Ian is a 24 year old very troubled
young man, he is an alcoholic who struggles with the belief that he is unlovable
and unworthy of time because he is gay.
Paul comes across Ian, who is on his
way to his AA meeting, and mistakes him for an angel, a sign from god. This
moment is a life changer for Paul who sets out to save Ian because he is drawn
to him. He struggles with his new feelings for this young man, especially
trying to reconcile his feelings with the views of the church. A secret
relationship follows to which these two really form what they both feel is a”blessed
union of souls”, no matter what anyone else thinks.
He sat with his head down, letting
the emotions wash over him in waves of anger, sadness, shame, and fear. He was
the same person he had always been. How could one choice make him seem suddenly
different to the world?
I don't want to give this story away.
I want you to read it, because it is worthy of people experiencing it with an open
mind and ready to see it for themselves without my views on what happens. I
will say that this was a highly emotional book for me and affected me very deeply.
I loved how easy it was to read for something that had such a real and
meaningful message within. I loved how it dealt with the very relevant issues
within its pages. I loved how the relationship between the couple seemed like a
real relationship with the normal ups and downs but also the underlying tension
of the very real problems they faced. You will feel a multitude of things,
rage, indignant, righteous, sad, validated, happy, deep sorrow... I felt all of
these things. To me that is a sign of a great book, to have been moved and
provoked into thought. I will leave you with another quote from this book,
because it made me smile and I think it outlines these two characters and their
relationship perfectly. Once again, please read, it is a great book that will
stay with me for a while.
Ian unwrapped one of the fortune
cookies and cracked it open. “‘Everything has beauty’,” he read, “‘but not
everyone sees it.’” He shrugged and set the slip of paper down next to the used
chopsticks. “What does yours say?” Paul cracked open his cookie. He read the
fortune to himself and chuckled at its appropriateness. “Well?” Ian asked.
“What’s it say?” “‘Never regret anything that made you smile.”
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