The Garden and the Serpent

This third installment of the series is my favorite, so far. I picked this series up with the idea that my boy may have an interest in reading it when he gets a bit older.

What I read tonight to finish this book hit me in a way that I didn't expect. In a good way. Saying this feels like a betrayal to my logical self that says that my feelings about something are suspect at best and are open to manipulation. At the same time, reading what Dekker is saying in this book rings true to my logical mind.

Growing up with a mandate to read only Christian material, Dekker's Circle books feel like they fall outside of that realm because of the strong depictions of evil and they way characters are susceptible to it and don't easily overcome the evil with the strength of God in their lives. That is a trope that doesn't seem genuine, but I understand that Christians want to encourage others without saying anything that might say that sinning is okay. Theo in this book feels like the world's most scared person and at first I thought of him as being realistic. Today, I believe that Dekker emphasizes the fear in order to create a space where it is safe for us to admit our fear. I walk away thinking that until we truly admit our fears and our inability to overcome them, we are blind to our need for God and the light of truth that he uses to set us free. Not just once, but as many times as we need.