The Lights of Tenth Street
Read The Lights of Tenth Street Online
Authors: Shaunti Feldhahn
T
HE
L
IGHTS OF
T
ENTH
S
TREET
“
The Lights of Tenth Street
will give both faithful and struggling Christians strength to meet the challenges of our sexualized society. Men and women who feel trapped by sin or whose marriages are struggling will find hope and insight in these pages, as the author reminds us that none of us are exempt from the seduction that is permeating our culture. Feldhahn has given us a riveting, thoughtful, and yet highly enjoyable read.”
D
R
. J
ERRY KIRK
,
FOUNDER
N
ATIONAL
C
OALITION FOR THE
P
ROTECTION OF
C
HILDREN AND
F
AMILIES
“Who knew Christian fiction could be so exciting—and so relevant to the times? A fascinating tale of people caught up in immorality, spiritual mediocrity, and high-tech terrorism,
The Lights of Tenth Street
is an edge-of-your-seat spiritual thriller.”
B
ILL
M
C
C
ARTNEY
,
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
P
ROMISE
K
EEPERS
“This book made me long to be part of a huge response of Christians who say no to sin and yes to following God without reservation. It’s a novelists way of calling the church to repentance and watching God’s power be released to impact the world through His children.”
D
R
. B
OB
R
ECCORD
,
PRESIDENT
N
ORTH
A
MERICAN
M
ISSION
B
OARD
, S
OUTHERN
B
APTIST
C
ONVENTION
T
HE
V
ERITAS
C
ONFLICT
“In
The Veritas Conflict
, Shaunti Feldhahn paints a disturbingly accurate picture of the liberal climate surrounding our most hallowed academic institutions, and of the intense spiritual warfare that exists there. Not only is this thrilling novel a pleasure to read—it gives powerful, Christ-centered perspectives on many difficult situations Christian students face in today’s classroom. Highly recommended for every student and parent!”
D
R
. B
ILL
B
RIGHT
, F
OUNDER AND
P
RESIDENT
C
AMPUS
C
RUSADE FOR
C
HRIST
I
NTERNATIONAL
“
The Veritas Conflict
is a fictional story that is packed with truth. This novel gives a compelling glimpse into the spiritual warfare behind the scenes of one of our nations great universities and sounds a trumpet call for Christians to be
salt
and
light
in our often-challenging, secular culture. This story will draw you into a deeper walk with Christ, and inspire you to stand for His truth.”
D
R
. C
INDY
J
ACOBS
,
BESTSELLING AUTHOR
W
OMEN OF
D
ESTINY AND
T
HE
V
OICE OF
G
OD
“A carefully woven plotline that, through the medium of story, delves deeply into intellectual and emotional issues and the invincible power of prayer. Shaunti has written an engaging novel that provides answers to some of life’s most difficult questions about God and truth.”
R
AVI
Z
ACHARIAS
, C
HRISTIAN APOLOGIST AND AUTHOR
T
HE
L
OTUS AND THE
C
ROSS
“Having trained Christian students for over twenty years how to apply their faith in a secular educational setting, I know the hazards they face in attempting to be salt and light within an increasingly tasteless and dark campus environment.
The Veritas Conflict
challenges Christian students to think about the invisible battle they face on campus—with forces of spiritual darkness, as well as deceitful philosophies, vying for their hearts and minds. Shaunti Feldhahn has woven together practical ideas for waging war on these two simultaneous battlefronts in a compelling and imaginative way.”
C
HUCK
E
DWARDS
, D
IRECTOR
B
IBLE
S
TUDY
C
URRICULUM
S
UMMIT
M
INISTRIES
“Ms. Feldhahn has an enormous writing talent. I cared about her main characters—rooting for them and hoping they’d come through in the end. Her intricate plot left me breathless in awe at how she tied up everything without dropping a thread! Overall, a message of love was given—love that is patient and love that gives to people unselfishly, right where they are.
The Veritas Conflict
takes a few little facts and becomes a full-blown work of contemporary fiction that will certainly cause readers to think.”
K
AREN
L
ARSEN
S
CRIBES
W
ORLD
R
EVIEW
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Specifically, “Tenth Street” and
The Challenger
referenced in the book are entirely fictional and are not to be confused with the actual street of that name located in Atlanta or any actual establishment.
THE LIGHTS OF TENTH STREET
published by Multnomah Books
© 2003 by Veritas Enterprises, Inc.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible
, New International Version © 1973, 1984 by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House
Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.
M
ULTNOMAH
and its mountain colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission.
For information:
MULTNOMAH BOOKS
12265 ORACLE BOULEVARD, SUITE 200
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80921
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Feldhahn, Shaunti Christine.
The lights of Tenth Street / by Shaunti Feldhahn.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-56444-3
I. Title: Lights of 10th Street. II. Title.
PS3556.E4574L54 2003
813′.54–dc21
2002156081
v3.1
P
ROLOGUE
Y
ou be good, pumpkin.”
Ronnie leaned into the broad chest as the owner of the deep voice knelt for a hug by the driveway. She squeezed her arms tight around his waist, breathing in the scent of sawdust and engine oil. She stood quiet in his embrace until she felt him kiss the top of her head. Her fingers gripped tighter.
“Do you have to go? Can’t I go with you just this once?”
“Nope.” The callused hands gently pried her fingers loose. “I told your mom I’d have you back by five o’clock. It’s already past that. I hope you had fun with the other kids at that church, at least.”
“I did!” The little face beamed. “That teacher lady this morning told us a story about how this man got beat up by some bad guys, and how another good man helped him. She said I was kind, like the good man!”
She prattled on about her morning. He finally stood up, silencing her. Then he took one of her hands in each of his and gave her a small smile. He chucked her under the chin, his voice quiet.
“Go on in now, Raggle-bear. I love you.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Ronnie saw movement at the front curtains. She took a step backward.
“I love you too, Daddy.”
He climbed into the familiar sedan, and she waved good-bye as the only father she’d ever known backed down the driveway.
Bye, Daddy
…
She heard the screen door squeak open behind her, heard the familiar female voice.
“Come on in, sweetheart.”
She turned and shouldered her small bag, then clambered up the uneven porch steps. She accepted another hug, a kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, I
missed you
. Go on now, put your stuff away. Then set the plates for dinner.”
Ronnie started to walk around the corner just as another figure appeared in the kitchen doorway.
“Hello, Veronica.”
She looked up at the tall man in the doorway, squinting against the ceiling light. “Hi, Seth.”
His expression darkened. He glanced at her mom, still standing by the front door, and then back at her. His voice was calm. “I have told you repeatedly to call me Dad.”
Ronnie looked back down. “I have to go put my stuff away.”
Seth stared at her a moment longer, then waved a hand. Ronnie hastened down the hallway toward her room. She put away her pajamas, a few toys, and the white teddy bear that went with her everywhere, and then headed back toward the kitchen.