Raptor 6

Raptor 6 by Ronie Kendig

Kendig begins her third military series with Raptor 6 with Captain Dean Watters and his team in Afghanistan. A local school is blown up and when Dean and his team show up with an assist, he meets missionary Zahrah Zarrick. An American with Afghan bloodlines, Z is a contradiction who holds secrets which will make her a target either of her own people or the American soldiers fighting against terrorists. As their lives continue to intertwine and nefarious plans come to light, Dean battles his history as it shapes his future.

I enjoyed Raptor 6 more than Kendig's last tale in her Military Working Dog series. I connected with Dean and Z almost from introduction. My only complaint is real life kept me from finishing the book in one sitting. The plot moved at a pace which meant putting the book down was torture.

Kendig's fictional work is an homage to our men and women and the sacrifices, burdens they shoulder, and the honor with which they live their lives. There were roughly five chapters in Raptor 6 which were hard to read because Kendig writes with respect and realism. She doesn't glorify the soldiers as unbreakable, perfect men and women. She gives them faults and allows them to make mistakes, but doesn't shy away from the realities they face on the battlefield.

Reading Raptor 6 so close to Easter brought to mind the photos which make their way around Facebook periodically. On Good Friday we watched The Passion of the Christ. Raptor 6 tied in to the sacrifice our Lord made for us. He bore the pain and suffering we earned. He endured the cross to save us from the torment.

The ending of Raptor 6 gave us a brief glimpse this ride isn't over. We'll be revisiting Dean and his team as they neutralize the continued threat.

Christian Authors and the Dilemma of Physical Attraction

A favorite blog writer of mine recently asked a question concerning things in books as a reader you don’t like. She mentioned describing the male lead as devastatingly handsome. It immediately brought to mind one of my top three pet peeves – overselling the physical appearance of characters in a book.

Unlike movies and television where you can actually see the characters, books offer a chance to imagine the characters. I don’t need an excessive amount of details for a literary character. My mind will sketch the characters as I see them. I’d rather read about their hands shaking in anger than the color of the skin covering those hands. Tell me about the excitement in their eyes before you wax poetic about the ocean being the same shade. I’d rather have an abstract picture of a character in a book than a paint-by-number portrait.

God gave us sight and created each and every one of us to be wonderfully made. Physical beauty is neither a curse nor a blessing. Society has defined what is attractive and asks us to all conform. God asks us to view others not with the eyes of the world, but through His eyes.

Where does the responsibility end for a Christian author who is setting the scene and describing the fictional world they have created? I have stopped reading more than a couple of authors because their emphasis on physical attractiveness is nearly worldly. I’ve become tired of reading about silky hair, long legs, strong arms, flat stomachs, and beautiful faces. I need more than physical attraction to believe two characters are going to commit to each other when they are written as though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

In TV and movies I believe there is a direct correlation between the quality of writing and the nudity of the characters. The more poorly written the story line is the more likely you are to have nearly naked actors on screen. In the literary world there is actually a designation when this happens on paper – PWP, porn without plot. PWP lets the reader know there is no story here just written porn. Christians authors more than likely aren’t writing PWP, but they need to find motivation for attraction between their characters to be more than just physical. Physical beauty fades or can be taken from us in an instant. The beauty of a God-fearing heart and the fruit of a Godly life lives forever.

Christians can’t ignore the physical traits of the opposite sex. I can list for you the physical qualities I find attractive in a guy. God designed us with eyes to see and brains to process what we see. We have to take care we don’t emphasize the physical over the traits God has outlined as important. While we all can’t poke out our eyes to prevent being physically attracted to someone, we can guard our minds with the Word of God.

I believe authors have a responsibility and should be held accountable. I won’t read an author anymore if I believe their romantic storylines are led with worldly views.