I'm the author of A Summer's Odyssey. Several people have commented about the Christian messages I've included, all are real and can be found online.

Most comments are positive and a few negative, which I expected. Most convey a message that our common interest in this type of fiction creates issues of faith which I fully understand.

While I am by no means wise, perhaps my insight on can help others or at least spark an open dialog that can overcome fear and prejudice.

First, if you believe in God, you have to believe in the devil (just don't worship the devil). You can not have one without the other. I believe in God, but not religion. Religion (the rules) is the devil's handiwork. Faith (our personal relationship with God) is God's gift. Unfortunately, most religions have become so concerned with the rules they forget the message of love and forgiveness. This goes for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

I'm a forty year active member of the UCC and past president or vice president (16 one year alternating terms) of a Luthern/UCC Union church. I've been teaching the confirmation class (7th & 8th grade) for the last 2 years as we're between pastors. I teach the students first, then the curriculum. I stress a personal relationship with God, one that, as Jesus said, we must accept with the innocence of children. Our minds are incapable of fully comprehending God, we must simply accept his love and forgiveness. Period! Nothing else matters in a personal relationship with God. If we try to figure God out, we'll always fail and lose heart, it's the devil trying to seperate us from God.

By definition, God is all powerful. How dare we mere humans try to put God in a box defined by religious rules? Yet this is exactly what all religions do! While I'm comfortable with my Christian beliefs, I can not say they are exclusive. God is big enough to be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Wiccan. There is no reason God can't be big enough for all of us... and our quirks.