LINDA RONDEAU
WHY I WROTE THE AMERICA II SERIES
The preacher pound the pulpit and it jarred me from my day dedreaming. “The Lord’s coming back any day now. It won’t be long. Will you be ready?”
I was five. But even then the sense of Christ’s imminent return permeated our day to day life. We were told to live as though Christ were returning at our next breath. Be ready. Sixty years later and preachers are still pounding the pulpit, jarring young children into a readiness mentality.
I do believe that we need to look often toward the Eastern sky as Christ admonished. That we must live our lives completely for Christ’s Glory. And the times are certainly manifest of something significant on the horizon. Many secular meteorologists believe we are in the midst of climate change.
But I sometimes wonder if Christians are not lulling themselves into a false sense of escape from future events that are sure to unfold over the next several decades? I have recently concluded a book promotion in which I asked readers to consider aspects of the year 2073, the time frame of my futuristic, political thriller, America II: The Reformation. Most responses I received were from general market audience. Most Christians responded with a non-answer, citing Christ was coming and we didn’t have to think about it.
I wonder if our refusal to consider a world fifty years from now where Christians are still awaiting the Glorious Returning, has influenced the impact we might have on today’s world? Have we shrugged our shoulders to the responsibility of being “stewards of the earth” because we “won’t be here that much longer?”
Climate change is not a new phenomenon. Coastal regions bear evidence of climatic upheavals that drastically changed the course of mankind but did not cause global extinction; however did cause significant social changes. Nor is a world where war is constant a new thing. The Old Testament history indicates constant warfare, empires rising and falling.
We know our world is heading for drastic change. Even non-believers hold to this concept. If so, what then is the Christian’s responsibility? Is it possible that if the world will sputter and squawk that God will preserve His remnant to continue His message?
While I long for Heaven and eternity to begin, I can’t help wonder if American Christians might have to endure significant cultural changes before Christ’s return. If so, I must put aside my personal desires and continue to do His work, even if that means I might die before I see the fulfillment of promise. Perhaps God desires today’s Christians to be “the cloud of witnesses” for the next generation.
This is why I wrote America II: The Reformation. Rather than an end of times treatise, done many times and by more scholarly people, I present a future world in which Christians are still waiting for Christ’s return. What challenges will they face after climatic and social upheaval has reshaped the world? Future Christians are still asking, “When will He come?” I hope that it will challenge us as believers not to simply sit back like the Christians in Thessalonica and wait. They too, believed that Christ would return any minute.
Surely He will, some day. But until then, what is the Christian’s responsibility to the world in which he lives?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Following unprecedented climatic changes, resultant pestilence and war brought the world into chaos. Eventually, each nation surrendered its sovereignty to form a global democracy, initially known as The Accord. However, the democratic government proved too weak and was soon replaced by a faux democratic rule.
The year is 2073, and current governor of Western America Province, Edwin Rowlands, is poised to become the Constitutional Government's second president. Many fear that the sweeping reforms found in his proposed Preservation Act will set him up as a dictator. If enacted, defection both past and present would become a crime punishable by death, thus bringing all outlands into crushing subjection.
While most believe reform is critical, factions disagree on how to prevent the Preservation Act from becoming law. Ahmed Farid, second President, believes reform can be managed within the existing government. Leader of the Revolutionary Army, Jimmy Kinnear, trusts only in military intervention. However, Jacob Goodayle, Chairman of Western America's illegal outland government, favors separatism.
As tensions rise, civil war seems imminent. Who will be the voice of reason in a world on the verge of a third dark age?
A graduate of Houghton College, Rondeau has spent a previous career in the field of human services, often engaged with families in crisis. She credits these experiences in human drama as the edge in creating unforgettable characters. Furthermore, her prior work has shaped her vision of a future world should current sociological issues remain unchecked over the next several decades.
After more than thirty years in the Adirondack region of Northern New York, Rondeau now resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Steve and their cat Duffer. When not writing, she enjoys theater, golf, and hiking.
She is a member of the Florida Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and several on-line writing groups. She is the owner and founder of Pentalk, a community of writers that features networking pages and a blog. Rondeau contributes a monthly column to her former community newspaper entitled, This Daily Grind and maintains a blog of the same name. Other blogs include Back in the Daze.
Also writing under the name of Linda Wood Rondeau, other books by this author include The Other Side of Darkness.
You may contact the author on Facebook, Linked In, Goodreads, or Twitter or visit her on the web at www.lindarondeau.com.
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