An Island Psalm: Compassion in the Midst of Judgment

This project is a novel of fiction communicating the hurts, sorrows, joys and rewards of a Methodist pastor serving on an island off the coast of Maine. This writer actually lived a similar experience while serving as a pastor on an island. The project is a work in progress. This manuscript is to be the first of a series of works containing the adventures of Pastor Jake Styles; peacemaker and self-appointed island sleuth.I chose to write this novel as fiction so as not to offend the tenacious, blue collar workers of the sea, who live in down-east Maine. The context of this work revolves around the inequality contained in the patriarchal judicial system ruling within many of Maine’s fishing villages. Unforgiveness and judgmental attitudes are the real targets of this project.Peace and reconciliation of the island community are brought about through the combined workings of the spiritual leaders who served there. The primary leadership was offered through Pastor Jake Styles, who was continually buffered in his attempts to facilitate healing within the community.Although centered on equality and core values of Christianity, this novel offers insight into the everyday human experience of community living. Infidelity, bullying, murder, and drug running are present within its pages. My hope for presenting this particular work as a future series is twofold. The primary reason is the obvious lack of forgiveness, which permeated the Christian community during an incident of infidelity on the island - causing me, as a pastor, deep spiritual unrest.I want to promote forgiveness as a foundational cornerstone of the Christian religion: it was, and is, a tenant of Christ’s teachings. The very familiar prayer known as “The Lord’s Prayer” has been a guide to Christian living for centuries. The prayer contains the following words; “And forgives us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Matthew 6:12). Almost every time Jesus spoke about the topic of prayer He mentioned the need to forgive.