Rule of Law based on real life inspiration
Part 2 of an interview with Randy Singer,
Author of Rule of Law
Inspired by real events involving American
contract workers detained in Yemen, Singer wrote Rule of Law to address what he describes as critical issues lurking
on the horizon. “Is the president above the law in matters of foreign policy?”
Singer asks. “Should the CIA be fighting shadow wars with drones and special
forces in countries where we have not declared war? What happens when the lives
of service members are sacrificed for political gain?”
To avoid getting bogged down in political
polarization, Singer assures readers his fictional president, cabinet and
Supreme Court bear little resemblance to the current administration and Court.
He does, however, anchor the story in reality with historical references —
political, military and legal — based on actual events. He also has great
respect for the sacrifices made by the Navy SEALS and their families, some of
whom attend the church where Singer serves as a teaching pastor.
Q: While you made sure the characters such as the
President and members of the Supreme Court in Rule of Law were not based on anyone in the current presidential
administration, you did have real life inspiration for the book. Can you tell
us about the people who did inspire you and the story?
Two remarkable people
inspired me to write Rule of Law. They
are both clients of my law practice.
Rule of Law begins
with a SEAL Team raid of a prison camp in Yemen where the Houthi rebels are
housing two important political prisoners.
Mark McAlister was working
for the United Nations on October 20, 2015, in Yemen when he was captured by
the Houthi rebels (who believed he was working for the CIA). For the next six
months Mark was confined to a small, windowless cell where he was abused and
interrogated. Through it all, he never renounced his faith. On the contrary, he
boldly told his captors that he was a follower of Jesus. After they took his
Bible, Mark would pace his small cell, praying and reminding himself of the
miracles of Jesus.
“Lord, if you can walk on
water, you can get me out of this cell. Lord, if you can heal the blind, you
can get me out of this cell. Lord, if you can come back from the dead after
three days, you can get me out of this cell.”
Six months into his
captivity, Mark was miraculously released by his Houthi captors. By then, he
had won their respect and developed a relationship with them. I had Mark share
his testimony with my church which can be accessed, along with the message I
preached that day, here: Lord of the Nations.
The second person who
inspired this book was Dana Wise. She is the widow of a former Navy SEAL who
attended the church I pastor and who was killed by a terrorist in Afghanistan.
Dana’s grace and class in the midst of tragedy have been an incredible
testimony to so many people. The main character in this book is a young female
lawyer who is on a mission to avenge the death of her boyfriend, a Navy SEAL
killed in the line of duty. The strength and class of Dana served as a great
model for my protagonist. Dana shared her story on Memorial Day at our church,
which can be seen, along with my message, here: Greater Love.
In Rule of Law, I want readers to experience triumph in the midst of
tragedy, and justice rising out of pain.
Q:
Your church serves many servicemen and women. How did your work with military
families influence you as you wrote Rule
of Law?
Rule
of Law begins with a tragic ending to a military mission.
As part of my duties as pastor, I have been called on to minister to families
who have lost loved ones in battle. The valor of these gold-star families is
amazing. Rule of Law is, in many
ways, a tribute to them. Additionally, just being around a military community
and having friends who can answer my questions about how things would work (and
I had tons of questions) helped make
the book more realistic.
Q:
You are a lawyer, a pastor and an author. How do all of those roles work
together in writing Christian legal thrillers?
Writing Christian legal thrillers
is the ideal intersection of my “lives” as pastor, lawyer and author. I believe
I can write more realistic legal thrillers because I am still in the
arena—trying cases in court and experiencing the kinds of emotions, victories
and defeats that my characters experience.
I would also say that my three
lives collide a fair amount. My writing is inspired by cases I’ve handled. My
wife reads my initial manuscripts and gives me feedback. My daughter and I
practice law together. My law partner is an elder in my church. My sermons are
influenced by the storytelling tools I’ve learned as an author and the
persuasive skills I’ve developed as a lawyer. Everything bleeds together and
feeds off everything else.
To my church members, I’m a
pastor; to my clients, a lawyer; and to my readers, an author. In today’s
specialized society, it seems like it should be hard to juggle all three. But
if you look at it historically, it was not at all unusual for one person to
fulfill numerous roles. I think it helps me to be better at each one. As a
pastor, I know what my church members go through in the “secular” world each
week. As a lawyer, I can help bring a spiritual perspective to bear on my
client’s biggest challenges. And as a writer, I can draw from both of those
other wells for inspiration, experience and ideas.
Q:
In the midst of tragedy, what does it mean to rely fully on God to get you
through?
There are times in our life when we can hardly
find the strength to take the next step. Friends tell us God can turn even this
tragedy into something good, but we are hurting so much that we can’t find the
faith to believe that. It is in those heartbreaking and gut-wrenching moments
that we discover God’s amazing grace and the truth that Jesus is enough no matter the circumstances. I have found God does
not give us the grace and strength ahead of time but that He always gives us
exactly what we need for the next step, even when it feels impossible. We do
not serve a Savior who is above our suffering; we serve one who suffered
himself and who walks through tragedy with us, one who fully understands the
pain of loss, abandonment, rejection and injustice. He is also a Savior who
promises the power of the resurrection — that God can restore and redeem
something hopelessly broken and lost.
Q:
Rule of Law uses the platform of
fiction to bring a true-life message to a wide audience. What is the message
you hope readers gain from reading the book?
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
I also want to remind them that God will give
us the courage and strength even in our darkest days to do what He has called
us to do. The same power that brought Jesus back from the dead is alive in us.
Ephesians 1:19-20.
Learn more about Randy Singer and
Rule of Law at www.randysinger.net.
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