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From the PREFACE of A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of a Universal Truth

Thank you for exploring what I hope you will agree is one of the great philosophical realizations in all of human history, even if it is one that I had failed to grasp until recently. As you will hear in Bill Vanderveen’s words, “Let it be, that we listen.”

While it might appear that you are holding a single book, as you read you might sense that A Secret of the Universe is essentially two books, synthesized into one story. One book has a non-fiction feel, and is comprised mostly of concepts and ideas about belief and epistemology—the fascinating study of the origins of knowledge. The other book is a coming-of-age story about love and loss, tragedy and triumph. Together, the books form a tiny microcosm of the human struggle to understand the great mysteries of our existence, and the divisions and consequences that often result from the solutions we formulate.

If you typically prefer honest, realistic fiction, I am compelled to point out that there are three chapters that convey the weightier concepts of the “non-fiction” book. I borrowed from my late mother (who herself never met a fictional tear-jerker that she didn’t like) the idea of isolating some of the heavier concepts. Knowing my distaste for tomatoes, she used to make her delicious chili with large chunks of the dreadful vegetables—so as to make them clearly visible. That way, I could eat around the slimy, quivering masses, without any difficulty. It’s the same here; if you don’t like weighty tomatoes, you will be able to eat around them.

Conversely, if you favor facts and non-fiction—particularly about religion, philosophy, or big ideas—you may prefer the substance of the “tomatoes.” Still, I would encourage you to read the early chapters, since these dramatic elements are relevant to understanding how and why we fail to see the real secret.

Each of us is the product of our experiences, genetics, environment, social interactions, egos, and education. This certainly holds true for our ideas about religion, and how we tend to make sense of life’s uncertainties. I was raised Christian, in the Midwest; but what if I had been born in Saudi Arabia? Is it not much more likely that I would view the world from a Muslim perspective? Is any of us truly objective? If my father used bent coat hangers to find water in the yard when I was a kid, am I not more likely to believe in the “truth” of dowsing? The point is this: the human drama that encompasses much of the first half of this book is the fertile soil in which belief takes root—and it is vital to seeing the potential for unenlightened belief to divide humanity rather than unite it.

It is also important to point out that despite the extensive research, endnotes, and “non-fiction” elements herein, this is a work of fiction. Those who know me personally might be tempted to correlate real people to central characters in this story. That would be a mistake. While clearly there are many elements inspired by my own real-life struggles, and those of others, it would be a mistake to literalize this allegory. All of the central characters are fictional; they are synthesized from multiple individuals, or completely fabricated.

Non-central characters also are fictional—with a few exceptions. In Chapter 2, Mr. and Mrs. Newman—a teacher and her husband chaperoning a high school group in Madrid—are based upon my own real experiences with two real-life angels, Hugh and Ruth Moser. Additionally, Bishop John Shelby Spong, James Randi, Earl Doherty, and Bart D. Ehrman are actual scholars and authors; however, their appearances in this story are fictional. Even the “non-fiction” elements are designed more to stimulate thought than to perfectly articulate complex reality or current scholarship; so I’d encourage you to explore my citations for yourself, think independently, and draw your own estimations of “truth.”

With the fictional and “non-fictional elements” combined, if I’ve done my job correctly you will leave this experience having been challenged—in your dogma, worldview, assumptions, or your tolerance for dissenting views. Please know, however, that it is never my intent to offend.

Lastly, in my acknowledgments at the end of this book I make an effort to recognize the many sources of revelation and knowledge that have shaped me and inspired this story. Unfortunately, a complete bibliography would be impossible, since it would include every book, TV show, podcast, conversation, and class that I’ve ever experienced. Despite the extensive research required to bring you this story, I stand on the shoulders of those giants whose persistence—and fascination with the world around them—has yielded such profound insights, one of which you’re about to experience. For these insights, I claim no credit; I only express awe and gratitude.

Enjoy!

 (© 2007, Truth-Driven Strategies, L.L.C; all rights reserved, reproduced with permission).

MORE;   Genesis;   The Slant;   Preface

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