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“The parable is given to us, but at the same time its full wealth of meaning will never be fully mined. It is not reducible to some clear, singular, scientific formula but rather gives rise to a multitude of commentaries. In opposition to this, many Christian communities view the stories and parables of the Bible as raw material to be translated into a single, understandable meaning rather than experienced as infinitely rich treasures that can speak to us in a plurality of ways.”

-Peter Rollins

My tone, voice, and content have been heavily influenced by two outside forces.  The first has been my love of fiction, specifically my life-long affair with fantasy and science fiction. I was introduced to the genres when I was 11 and have never looked back. It wasn’t just the stories that caught my attention, but also the truth about humanity, relationships, faith, and existence that these “fake” stories were able to teach a young man from a broken home.

            The other strong influence in my writing is the time I spent in the evangelical, protestant church. I spent my teen and young adult years participating heavily in the church, also to find a path out my very dysfunctional home. Much of that time was spent as a leader, where I helped teach and shepherd programs. It would be a lie to say that all my experiences were positive. In fact, many of them were quite negative and bordered on emotional and spiritual abuse. However, I also came away with many positive experiences and relationships that have been lifelong and edifying.

            These two influences intersect at the humble parable.  The parable is a wonderful type of story that is both fictional but attempts to communicate deep truths. These truths are often not factual but will still show us a path that ultimately guides us to betterment. This being said, I have always struggled against the modern church’s need to codify and systematize parables in an attempt to prove their specific faith as absolute truth. A god that you can solve with a formula is not a god worth worshipping.

            That is why I have re-imagined and modernized the parable of Jesus with the adulteress. The short 10 lines of this parable have always jogged my imagination and given me the most beautiful outline and structure for my faith.  This parable also has many corollaries to how the church reacts and treats those they deem outsiders and “sinners”, offers a better way of how we should view said people.  

            The Pastor’s Dillemma is not only the perfect synthesis of my two strongest influences in writing and life but also offers a way to gently teach and offer readers a simple way to interact and unpack a very delicate and complex idea.