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Christian writers often struggle with depictions of human sinfulness. Draw characters with too much earthy reality, and you will have to find a secular publisher. (Can anyone imagine Buechner's Bebb coming out of the Christian market?) Write a book that is overtly spiritual, and you'll find your work rejected as "too religious" to be marketable by secular presses. Bauer nimbly walks that fine line, depicting failure and evil compellingly in a book that overtly, realistically describes the spiritual seeking and setbacks of believers.

The darkness hides God's glory. The eye of sinful man God's glory may not see. But thank heaven for the distinct hopefulness in that simple word though! Though the darkness hides him, God is still holy, merciful, and mighty.

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November 16 1998, Vol. 42, No. 13