Robert Bailor

Through Horror to Hope Robert Bailor

The odyssey of Michael, which began with his personal struggles about the truth of religious faith in Through Fire to Faith, continues in Through Horror to Hope. He is thrust into a crisis of faith which can only be resolved if he can discover the meaning of good and evil. Furthermore, he needs to become convinced that this world and his life are meant for good. The book begins with Michael's sincere conviction that he has been touched by God and called to genuine faith. Then this faith is sorely challenged when a massacre occurs at his church and he must reconcile this mass murder with his hope in God as his savior. He deeply questions why he prays "Deliver us from evil" when such a terrible tragedy can occur. What he thought was his solid, secure trust in God begins to crumble under the weight of his faith crisis. Along the way, Michael is joined by his wife Emilee and his friends Matthew and Rose, who came to the United States to escape just such horrors with the civil war in Sierra Leone. The reactions to the church massacre by these and others whose lives intertwine with Michael's all work to help Michael decide whether this world is good enough to bring a new life into it. Finally, Michael's crisis of faith climaxes with his second inspirational personal encounter with Fr. David and his second challenging professional dispute with Dr. Dorothy Stingler. This novel provides the reader with a thrilling and profound experience in terms of good and evil and their impact on religious faith.