The Seeing

Luke Kauffman is tired of being treated like a kid. He's done things. He's been places. He doesn't know why his father won't treat him like the young man he's become. He needs a break and that's why he asks to go help Pastor Virgil fix up a church in Auga Rancheria. When his father reluctantly agrees, Luke begins a journey that will change his life forever. Evil stalks the desert when Luke arrives, hovering over the mountaintop and infiltrating the casino. Luke can see the evil because he has in his possession an odd pair of goggles that allow him to see into another dimension. A dimension of good and evil, light and dark, shadows and radiance. And the goggles work only for him. With the help of a new techie friend, Luke is able to make the goggles work even better than before, and what he sees draws him further and further into a twisted maze of evil. Does he have the courage and faith to battle the evil, or will the war be lost? Author Bill Myers has crafted a brilliant and inspiring novel in THE SEEING. Filled with hope and faith, the storyline takes readers on a journey of spiritual adventure. The plot is fast-paced, the characters are masterfully written, and the whole premise is cleverly unique. Rearders of Chrisitan fiction will especially enjoy the strong spiritual undertones of the story and the unbending faith of the characters. THE SEEING is another highly recommended read from a masterful author.

In this third book of Bill Myers' "Soul Tracker" series, the main character Luke possesses a pair of goggles that allows him to see spiritual beings and activity. This not only sets him at the center of a spiritual conflict taking place near the desert Southwest community of Agua Rancheria, but it also sets him up to inflate his ego with the unique ability. While the resolution of these conflicts (both the spiritual one and Luke's internal one) makes for a fast-paced story, the story seems at times almost too fast-paced. The action has a tendency to get in the way of character development, and this means that the characters occasionally become dangerously close to being caricatures rather than fully fleshed out individuals. It feels as though this happens not because the author doesn't have a full idea of what he wants the characters to be, but because he's so familiar with them that he hasn't taken the time to paint a full portrait of the characters for the reader. Additionally, the spiritual warfare aspect of this book is always a difficult topic to tackle. Because there is not much Scriptural detail about the nature of spiritual warfare, authors writing about it must by necessity take great liberties with the concept to flesh it out. Unfortunately, in this case (and this, as well, seems to feel the result of a bit of a rush to get the action in), the mechanics of spiritual warfare seem to be greatly simplified, lending to an almost over-the-top feeling at times as the effects of actions lack a depth of subtlety. Most spiritual warfare aspects shown in the book emphasize the "right now" rather than readiness rooted in an ongoing spiritual relationship. However, this is not to say that the book is all (or even mostly) bad. The action that sometimes pushes everything else to the side is still enjoyable, and enough of the characters show through that you can find yourself interested in them, if occasionally baffled as to just who they really are. The book also carries messages of the reality of spiritual warfare and a need for denominational unity (that is, reaching across denominational lines past some more superficial disagreements to come together as a unified Church in times of need). Overall, even with the flaws it has, this is still a good read with some good points carried through the story. I waffled between a three- and four-star ranking for this and found myself wishing for a three-and-a-half; ultimately, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and gave it four.

In this, the third of the Soul Tracker series, Bill Myers has a lot to say. He tells an entertaining story, which will keep you flipping pages until the very end. However, a deeper look at this work shows you several things more. 1. Spiritual warfare is real. I know we don't typically acknowledge much of the supernatural in our scientific, "enlightened" society. But just because I don't acknowledge the reality of electricity doesn't mean I won't get shocked if I stick my tongue in an electrical socket (kids, don't try this at home). 2. Secondary doctrinal differences which we allow to divide us will make us ineffective for God's Kingdom. Instead, let the primary doctrinal truth of "Christ is Lord" unite us as we work together for His glory. 3. Our prayers do affect the spiritual realm. We may not understand it, we may not even see it, but our prayers are effective -- and necessary. All in all, The Seeing is an engaging, thought-provoking book. I highly recommend it.