บท 2: Foreword
This is a book about God. However this is not a piece of religious scripture or doctrine. Instead this book has the intention of suggesting that God, or a power greater than ordinary human beings, intercedes for the main character during the course of his life. The events that happen in the life of the main character reflect true events that have happened to an individual in the 21st century.
This story is neither an allegory nor a narrative. The author has written a style that could be considered a mixture of the two, but which he considers neither. Occasionally there is a dialogue, and certain characters appear throughout. The characters that appear in the story perhaps show that Joshua relies on their encouragement at certain stages and events in his life.
Some of the events are very traumatic, some of them are very uplifting and sometimes joyful events are presented after times of difficulty or indeed trauma. The author is trying to show that throughout the difficult situations that he and everyone has to go through, who has ever existed in the world since the beginning of time, perseverance and optimism are the basis of the main characters recovery from physical and mental illness. In 2019, the author of this book looked up at a wall inside a local school whilst on a training course. On the wall there was a flyer which read 'mental illness affects all people'. In 2009, the author was told that a stigma was attached with mental illness and that 10% of people were in a certain category that applied to young people. In 2017 he was told that this was 2%. What's quite clear is that mental illness is a grey area in modern society, although recently the author and hopefully the reader can identify an outpouring of love and understanding that would justify the 2019 statement. The reader, the author and Joshua Smith wouldn't question that every human being needs love and deep down wants to be happy. However, joy is distinguished from happiness for the purpose of this story to show how joy is maintained through very difficult circumstances. He suggests that the joy comes from God, which enables him to persevere and remain hopeful.
The idea of a greater power than himself being the ultimate authority over his personal recovery is presented in this book as something the main character reflects on, and ultimately relies on so that his health is maintained. However, there is no intention to evangelize the reader. Chapter 6 is trying to portray how lonely and isolated the main character felt during a period of 'psychotic depression', and how his spiritual life helped him. The author is trying to suggest that greater powers beyond ordinary understanding are at work during the course of Joshua's life and does attempt to challenge common perceptions, which can be media led, related to these matters. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 are based on Joshua's imagination and artistic representations have been shown. However, the main character of this story walks the earth like the reader, and cannot categorically claim to have had a supernatural experience. However, the way our modern culture disregards experiences, of this kind, the author believes to create expectancy that everybody must have a close-minded view on these matters. Perhaps another intention of this story is to suggest that a different perspective on these matters is something that is not unacceptable in our modern culture.
This book is ideally suited to someone aged 16 and onwards. This is because it has some complex themes, but also because there is some quite harrowing detail within whilst the overall message is a positive one. Therefore, a young person who has faced difficulties in their life would benefit from reading this book as a source of inspiration. It is also a very enjoyable book to read a few times over.
It is not the intention of the author to present a claim towards another side or separate reality. However any reassurance that a reader receives, that has had similar experiences, by reading this book would make it a success in the eyes of the author. It is also a book intended to hold the interest of the reader, and sometimes has a very poetic feel to it, as well as occasionally attempting the style of a modern thriller that starts and finishes at Christmas time. The reader must be assured that it is inspired by true events.
At the start of the book, Joshua is asked 'Who is the man at the end of the story?' As a person who would describe himself as a Christian, the author is reflecting here on the main character from the New Testament of all versions of the Holy Bible. However, another intention of this book is that the reader identifies the man as the love which Josh has between the other characters in the story; including those he has altercations with on a few occasions. We live in a society where it is very common, and straightforward, to criticize others. In most major world religions, caring for other practicing members and faith in a higher power are key elements.
The word love is used in this book as the main message to suggest that this is a force that can be likened to greater power, or indeed a supernatural power, that makes no distinctions and keeps society as a whole. Part of the authors' perception, as shown in chapter 6, is that this love extends from small groups of people, to other groups and then to the whole of society. However, ultimately the wellbeing of the whole is something that can only be achieved by the constant outpouring of this love from the small groups. Joshua's perseverance, despite a lack of knowledge of his own wellbeing and that of those around him, is critical despite a real leap of faith being required. Ultimately he must trust in the God of his understanding, and who sustains him from within, with that which he cannot control. During the course of his life, like many of us Joshua has concerns for much wider world issues also. However, the main message at the end of the story should provide a reassurance, to the reader, that a God of all-encompassing love is there present as he has been throughout Joshua's life.
Finally this story is not allegorical. This is because the purpose is to hold the interest of the reader, and to inspire, rather than express a very intellectual idea or realization. This is despite the fact that the story is based around the deep insights of the author, feelings that he has experienced and the wisdom which has enabled him to recover. Throughout the story this is intended to inspire the reader, particularly with the searching questions that the author believes that all human beings will have at some stage in their lives. For example 'Why we are here? Is anybody up there looking after us?' As previously read, the main message of this book is one of love which the author believes is not complicated or needs to be understood.
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