Prologue

This journal may contain many things, but it is ultimately my view of love from the edge.

My handle refers to Stephen Donaldson’s double trilogy of fantasy fiction, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever. The first book of the series is Lord Foul’s Bane.

The protagonist is transported to a fantasy realm where his white gold wedding band is a talisman of wild white magic, crux of an on-going conflict between good and evil.

For me, the story is about a normal man being thrust into a position of responsiblity and power for reasons beyond his control. He wrestles with the paradox of his ring’s power, and later the paradox of his own personal power in the lives of his friends, strangers, and enemies.

Personally, I believe all of our lives are a story waiting to be put down on paper. As a Christian, I wrestle with the implications of being born again into a kingdom of power in a battle of good and evil as epic as any novel ever composed. A previously hidden universe where the ultimate personal power is humility before God. A place as real as everyday life, where I have been given supernatural powers and a broad purpose, but the pages of the story are left largely for me to write.

For me, the paradox isn’t good and evil. It is being on the grange point where I can see both sides. It is being able to see the entire universe in perfect clarity in one moment, and knowing that before I can begin to utter one word of it, the moment passes and my description is in err.

It is also the paradox of love. Letting love out, before you can let love in. This is the crux. This is the essence of life.This is what the battle is all about. Love is the wild magic. But the first step is learning what love really is. To learn that, you’ve got to start with the source.

The most important choice I have ever made, and continue to make, is to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. As I grow in maturity of my faith, I delight in the liberation of that decision. It has given my life purpose, a reason beyond the day-to-day grind. My mistakes are forgiven and don’t count against me. Only my successes are added to my record, and I run so as to win the prize. I am free to live a life that is as important or mundane as I choose to make it. All I have to do is ask.

And be ready . . . to take action.

Welcome to OD.

hrm….another comrade in arms? i shall return

You know, this is the first time in reading your diary that I have read your Prologue, even though your intro tells everyone to. Don’t feel especially happy at the moment, so will curb my natural cynicism and make no comment about christian cliches. The best compliment I can pay you, is that aside from your believes or perhaps because of them, you are an active participant in life. I like

ps: oops, i meant beliefs, not believes. what a “d’oh”!!

reading….

randomly reading. me likey! luv, ConvolutedCutie or HotDamn

Just thought I’d have a quick look through your FOD (hope you don’t mind, feel free to tell me to bugger off!) This entry is beautiful. Don’t know what the rest are like but from the two I’ve read, you’re one heck of a writer! mervo

That’s a beautiful beginning. I have always thought of myself as Christian and have grown up being part of a church.I have recently reached a point in my life where I realized that I am just not getting something though. I am not sure what, but am determined to find it. I think know it in my head, but I’ve missed it in my heart for some time now. I think you’re absloutely right. Thanks for that.

Me again. Read that first covenant book, good but all the selfloathing got to me after a while. Funny cause I was the same about the catholic guilt I grew up with. Still religious/catholic in my own way, glad your style works for you.

The Covenant books are excellent, they’ve been favorites of mine for years. I was so happy to find out that Donaldson agreed to write a final series to completely wrap up the story. Sadly the last book isn’t supposed to be finished until 2012 or 2015 I believe. Awful long time to wait…