A few years ago the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour featured Athol Dickson's Lost Mission, a slightly speculative novel about the lives of six people separated by about 200 years of history. I read it back then and jotted down a few of my reactions, but never got around to posting anything about. Here's a revised version of those notes.
I have to think of this book as a fable or parable in order to appreciate it. We're not given fully realized characters in those stories; instead, the characters are meant to prompt reflection on our own actions. They are not more archetypal than fictional. This description is not a detraction. The characters themselves are fascinating, and the entire basis of the story is their search for spiritual truth. To take a turn from Francis Bacon, some books are meant to be savored like a delicacy, to be considered and turned over in our minds long after we have finished them and moved on. I believe Lost Mission is such a book.
The three main characters of the book are:
The story floats back and forth between these three people in the present, and three friars in eighteenth-century Spanish America who seek to found a new mission to reach the local native population. The thrust of the novel is centered around what Christian obedience actually means, and is especially targeted at the notions of piety developed in upper middle class American Protestantism. The story itself is "simple," which does not mean trite or idiotic. Instead, as is perfectly natural for a fable, many layers of reality are excluded.
As an example, young Pastor Tucker is distraught when a local megachurch, Grace Tabernacle, chooses not to keep up the same level of support for his outreach ministry Sanctuaria, due to the fact that this church was his only source of funding. He himself does not have any vocation except the ministry he founded, and no volunteers except the local Hispanic population. This situation works nicely to setup his internal conflict, but left me with many questions. Is Sanctuaria a registered nonprofit organization? If so, he should be able to apply for federal or state grants. Why does Tucker work only with wealthy Protestant churches, instead of working in tandem with the local Catholic parish? Why does he not recruit volunteers from the local schools? Why doesn't he apply to area business grants, or work in conjunction with other local nonprofits? For someone who holds a doctorate in ministry, Tucker appears to know very little about running a mission. His "go it alone" style of work simply does not make sense.
These questions are neatly answered by Lost Mission serving as a parable. The mission is managed so differently then it would be in reality in order to serve as a dramatic foil for the megachurch, as Tucker himself is a dramatic foil for Del. Again, it is an archetypal depiction of a megachurch: for all the novel focuses on the physical wealth of Grace Tabernacle (Persian rugs, special coffee, building projects), we are given few details on their spiritual outreach into the community (educational programs, food pantry, or bus ministry). Rather than show any of the work Tabernacle does, we're only pointed to the fact that they do not support Tucker's ministry as well as he thinks they should. Fortunately, as I said, the author writes well, and what could have been simplistic is merely simple. These two churches are not meant to be realistic but "truer" than reality. The focus on a few specific characteristics contrasts the different spiritual approaches Dickson wishes to explore.
A bad writer would have so simplified his message that there was no truth in it (as, indeed, two of the central character types in this novel do in different ways). Fortunately, this author is able to tell a parable well by focusing on what matters in a story like this: the characters. The individual character types are the saving grace of this book, adding nuance and meaning to the story and ultimately allowing me to both savor and receive instruction from it.
In essence, this parable illustrates a Goldilocks scenario of ministerial character types: the too hot, too cold, and just right. Dal and one of the friars are both too hot, not in their fervor for God, but in their obsession with a personal opinion of service that blinds to the truth. This obsession leads to hypocrisy, as their personal rules of obedience become so entrenched as to become a stumbling block and provoke guilt when the characters are unable to follow their own standards. I really appreciated the nuanced depiction of guilt as it played into this character type.
I also appreciated the depiction of characters who became "too cold." Tucker and his historic alter ego both lose sight of what is right in favor of what is good; the present day pastor in particular bends the rules to suit his own agenda. He is just as obsessed with money as those megachurches he disdains, shown by his unwillingness to accept prayer or volunteer support over monetary funds. He turns his back on his own moral standards once Grace Tabernacle refuses to sponsor him. In Tucker's narrow vision, some people have, and some people have not, and therefore the only solution is to take. I am so glad the novel highlighted the slippery slope such reasoning produces.
The truth is: Tucker's and Del's sins are the same, because they amount to selfishness. In Dal's case, he believes his version of personal Christian living is superior, whereas Tucker believes his method of Christian service is better. Both have lost sight of who defines being a Christian: Jesus. Thus both pursue courses of action that are ultimately destructive to themselves and others.
But Lost Mission also takes a divine look at success and failure than a myopic human one. Lupe and the last of the Spanish friars both attempt to find a middle ground, a means of serving God and their fellow man with compassion and integrity. When those around them bring catastrophe, both suffer sorrow over their perceived failure. Unlike the other characters, though, they continually reject the trap of self pity or justification, instead seeking God's help to overcome obstacles. In both instances, God uses their weak, imperfect, but steadfast service to accomplish something they can't see and could never have imagined.
Lost Mission is not the book you might think it is. Don't look for reality. Instead, allow the unreality of the story and its plot points to direct you inward and then outward. The message of the story overshadow the leaps of faith the plot requires. Allow this 200-year tale to lift you up, and you will be inspired.
I did not receive anything from the publisher or author for this review (but they're free to send me something now if they'd like). The book is currently available from Howard Books via Amazon in Hardback ($30.56), Paperback ($17.09), and eBook editions ($9.72).
