by Dan Walsh
But even with these positive things—things that many who lived back then may long to see restored—serious problems were simmering beneath the surface. For example, consider the way many white people treated black people. The way men treated women. The way bosses treated their employees. The way the government treated its citizens. The way all of us viewed money and materialism. Even the way people viewed church in general, and how little of what Jesus actually taught found its way into people’s daily lives.
We were thought of as a “Christian country” back then, and the overwhelming majority of Americans did attend one church or another. But those who cherish those days and wish they would return must face this hard reality: Could all of the societal problems that blew up like a volcano during the cultural revolution of the sixties have happened in a truly Christian country? Could they have happened . . . if all the people dressing up on Sunday, going off to church, and enjoying Sunday dinners together genuinely loved God and sought to love their neighbors as themselves?
I think a more honest assessment would suggest that many Americans’ church experiences in the fifties and sixties had more to do with the religion of Christianity than a clear understanding of the gospel.
Part of the reason I decided to set What Follows After in the early sixties was to explore how the timeless truths of the gospel could have applied in an average American family during the Leave It to Beaver years. The things that cause relationships to succeed or fail are not dependent on the society or culture we live in.
They are just as relevant today in this “post-Christian” era.
And because of who Jesus is and the power he has to still change lives and make them better, no one should feel hopeless, no matter how challenging their circumstances. God can unravel any ball of twine we hand him, no matter how snarled and knotted it may be. We may not like the methods he chooses, for he often works through the trials of life and even our own failures.
But what follows after any life that is surrendered to him will one day be a life well worth living and lead to an eternity of everlasting joy.
Acknowledgments
For starters, I want to thank my wife, Cindi. As always, I cherish her input and advice, reflected throughout these pages. Her memories of the years depicted in this story were a little sharper than mine and very helpful.
I also want to thank my editor and friend, Andrea Doering, for her valuable input. It’s a rare privilege in this business to be able to work with the same editor for so many books, especially an editor as talented as Andrea. I’m grateful for the entire staff at Revell, who make all the behind-the-scenes things happen. Folks like Twila Bennett, Michele Misiak, Robin Barnett, Claudia Marsh, Kristin Kornoelje, and so many others.
I want to thank my friend John Wills, for his expertise and help in all the scenes involving the FBI. John is also a fine author who’s won multiple awards for his novels, short stories, articles, and poetry. His forty-one years in law enforcement as a Chicago police officer, FBI agent, and use-of-force instructor have enabled him to use his experience to bring realism to his writing, and to help fellow writers like me get things right. John’s latest novel, The Year Without Christmas, released last October. Visit him at www.johnmwills.com.
On a local level, I want to thank Vince Clarida and several of the members down at the Halifax Historical Museum in Daytona Beach—people who lived and worked in the areas shown in What Follows After during the time of the story. Their memories and recollections were invaluable. I’d also like to thank my Word Weavers critique group in Port Orange, Florida, for their input on several chapters.
Lastly, to my fabulous agent and friend, Karen Solem, who takes such great care of me and helps me navigate through the ever-shifting maze of the publishing world. Her work sets me free to just write, which is what I love doing the most. I’m especially happy that she’s moved her agency, Spencerhill Associates, down here to Florida, just a few short hours from where I live.
Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of The Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, The Deepest Waters, Remembering Christmas, The Discovery, The Reunion, The Dance, and The Promise. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel.
Books by Dan Walsh
* * *
The Unfinished Gift
The Homecoming
The Deepest Waters
Remembering Christmas
The Discovery
The Reunion
THE RESTORATION SERIES WITH GARY SMALLEY
The Dance
The Promise
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