The Damascus Way
This third book in the Acts of Faith series continues the story of the fledging church and the group of believers who are facing a fearsome persecution led by the Pharisee, Saul. Jacob, the centurion’s servant who had been healed by Jesus, is now a young man struggling for independence from his guardian. Jacob’s position as a guard in the caravan of a wealthy trader, Jamal, makes it easy for him to carry messages between Christians. Unknown to Jacob, Jamal’s daughter also is a messenger for the underground faith. Recently shattered by the twin revelations that her parents are not married and her father’s true wife and children live inDamascus, Julia struggles to readjust to the new realities of her life. Nevertheless, when her father desires her to travel in company with Jacob, as a ruse to transport a valuable shipment of frankincense, Julia readily agrees. Sandstorms, bandits, and zealots all threaten their lives, but nothing is as frightening as being forced to carry the fanatic, Saul, on his journey to Damascus to destroy the Christians.
Although many of the scene-shifts are confusing, this slight annoyance is more than compensated for by the realistic descriptions of daily life in a 1st-century desert environment. A perfect blend of history and fiction, this final book in the trilogy is a wonderful read and a fitting conclusion to an exciting and inspirational series.
