The Angelic Prophecy

The Angelic Prophecy, Robert L. Hecker, Mundania Press LLC, 2005

Michael Modesto is your average hard-driving rock star who is getting tired of the music life style. At a post-concert party, he meets a young woman named Mary Schaefer, who doesn't look or act like the typical groupie. Against his better judgment, he accompanies her to a local hospital that treats crack babies. He holds one of the babies, and is suddenly convulsed by extreme pain throughout his body. When he recovers, he finds that the baby is cured. Other things happen to Michael that convince him that something very strange is happening. In a vision, he is told, "I am the Word, and you are my messenger."

Michael has no idea what this Message is, or how he is supposed to deliver it, but the thought that he is losing his mind is pretty tempting. He becomes part of a local church in Los Angeles, with which Mary is associated, as a Guest Evangelist. As a native of Texas, Michael has plenty of experience with the way evangelists are supposed to act and sound. His popularity grows like wildfire, with help from some public healings of the sick. The services are nationally televised, and the church moves to larger quarters. Michael attracts the attention of Anthony Stonz, a Washington power broker, who becomes Michael's biggest fan. For his own reasons, Anthony pushes for the construction of a huge, brand new cathedral, just for Michael. This is despite Michael's assertion that as soon as he delivers the Message, his evangelizing will stop. Suddenly, accusations of fraud against Michael, for "healing" people who are not really sick, and accusations of financial mismanagement make it look like the whole thing will collapse.

This is quite a book. It does a fine job looking at faith and religion for those who are not very religious. It has an interesting and plausible story, and is very much worth checking out.