On the Wings of the Wind
Here now is the third and final
installment of the Wind series that began with Where the Wind Begins. In that volume character and narrative were
used to describe and contrast the two approaches to life depicted in
Ecclesiastes and Philippians. This was accomplished
mainly in the persons of one multi millionaire-- Malcolm Richardson--and one
religious refugee from Iran—Dr. Morv Areed (Moreen) Hassani.
In the series we witness the dark, cynical epitome of the worldly and
wealthy aristocrat of Ecclesiastes (Mr. Richardson) meet up with the joy and
hope of the Epistle to the Philippians (Mrs. Hassani). And in a process that travels through all
three books and beyond, Malcolm is transformed from an apathetic, agnostic, and
detached father to a more relational position in both the spiritual and the
familial aspects of his life…all this resulting from Moreen’s joy and hope
assisted by Malcolm’s discovery of great works of literature. Three of these works (King Lear, Paradise
Lost, and The Confessions) are dealt with at length in each volume
respectively.
Wings of the Wind will continue to
explore the ongoing relational conflicts inherent in a large family. Malcolm is thrice divorced with kids and
grandkids from all three marriages. He
and His ex-wife Sybil’s relationship closed with a kiss in the second
installment, Where the Wind Will, and continues to gel in this volume as
does his previously strained relationship with Todd, his youngest son. The relationship between Malcolm’s
stepdaughter, Dana, and Moreen’s only
surviving son, Omid will move forward. And
the marital strain between Malcolm and Sybil’s oldest daughter, Alicia, and her
husband, Tom, will continue to plague as those two deal with their financial
success inadvertently following in her father’s footsteps.
Another exploration continuing
from the first volume is the liturgical journey upon which the characters
continue to embark as they experience God through the traditional and ancient
patterns of worship initiated by God through Moses, adapted by the synagogue,
carried over into the first century church gatherings, and preserved for
centuries in the high church traditions.
Suffering in general and the
persecuted church specifically is also an area that the Wind series looks
into. The second book closed with a
harrowing hostage development in Columbia, which, in the third book (the volume
before you) will affect the entire cast of characters, deeply challenging their ideas of security,
comfort, and even God’s goodness.