Anne Rice is Called Out of Darkness

Called Out of Darkness is a beautifully written book of one woman's journey to a personal relationship with Jesus as her Lord and Savior. An intimate story that isn't overly syrupy and does not justify any of the personal choices author Anne Rice has made in life makes this book very readable to a vast audience that might not otherwise pick up a testimonial book of this type.

Her descriptions about the importance of family and moral values as well as church attendance forming character can be read between the lines. The truth and value of the "little things" that others do for and to you and how they make a lasting impact on character formation are subtle traits within the context of the story.

We are all pursued by the Hound of Heaven and the use of the poem by Francis Thompson fits into Anne's story perfectly. Her longing for the Eucharist has a depth of understanding that even protestants can relate to.

The scandals plaguing the Church did not keep her from choosing to pursue Jesus through the Sacraments that were familiar to her from her childhood. Her embracing of the modern Church service versus the Latin Mass she had grown up with are evident. She speaks with joy at not being ridiculed by those in her family who had never left the Church but instead loved her back to Jesus.


As a convert to the faith, I was overjoyed that she looked with awe at many of the same things I loved when I converted: The Nicene Creed, the Gloria, the prayers of consecration and the Agnus Dei. Her descriptions of these standards of the Church echo my own sentiments and show a woman who has come to terms with what she chose to walk away from and what she now chooses to embrace.

I have never read Anne's "vampire writings," and probably never will, but I see an amazing openness and frank love of truth and sense of justice in her clear and eloquent writings. I look forward to many more descriptive and faith conveying books to come from a woman whose obvious vocation is writing for the glory of God.

In Genesis, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers with the words, "Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people." ( Gen. 50:20) I look forward to Ms. Rice's future work to draw on the past she came from to lead many to the Lord. He knows her name, as He knows each of ours and He has called her out of darkness.

CALLED OUT OF DARKNESS
By Anne Rice
ISBN:978-0-307-39759-1

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The Pain of Sin

I love a lesbian.
I’ve loved her since we were girls. The feeling is mutual, I’m sure. We are as close as sisters. We grew up together. We worked together. We lived together. We fought and we dated guys together. She is one of my oldest, dearest and most precious friends.

Through the years our paths separated, almost under our noses. We weren’t concerned about God. We lived like we chose and it showed. Without a plumb line to guide us, we continued our downward spiral of what was acceptable and normal for us and those who were our friends.

Somehow, through the muddle of my mind, Jesus broke through. He reached down and began to clear the cobwebs of my mind. He began to massage my brain back to life. He began to probe my thoughts and penetrate my concepts of right and wrong, just and unjust, and to stir up something long ago lost. I became a new creation. My life changed- for the better, and that change continues to this day.

But my wonderful friend hasn’t had that renewal.
She hasn’t chosen to be renewed, but all these many years she has continued to love herself and her wants. There has been no visible work toward holy living and dying to selfish desires.

Her partners have changed. Her opinions have become more vocal and her heart has fashioned God to be someone she calls on when she has disappointments and most times, she thinks He does not care for her or take a personal interest in what she does. He doesn’t hear her. Why?

Recently we got to catch up and I was introduced to her latest partner.

I had no reaction other than, “Oh, well.”

In reflecting on my lack of shock over her choice of sin, I had to ask God why I would feel no grief about her continued lifestyle. My answer was all too evident: I have become numb to the things that break God’s heart. I have forgotten how to hate sin while continuing to love the sinner. In other ones, I continue to love her but I have grown numb to her sin.

I cannot, as a Christian, make the two one. I must separate my friend whom I love, from her sin of choice. All sin breaks God’s heart. Some sins ensnare with strangling cords because they have a Trinitarian grip on the person. They ensnare the body, soul and spirit and these sins choke the life from the individual.

I’ve had to repent.

I’ve had to ask Jesus to forgive me for not seeing my friend’s hurts and ministering to them again and again, with the love of Christ. I am not called by God to judge her but to love her. I want to look like and strive to emulate a savior worth living for because she is someone He was worth dying for.