“Oh My God, You Got Me ‘The Mustard Seed?’ I Love You Forever!”

With Christmas only 9 days away, don't forget that The Mustard Seed makes a perfect holiday gift - especially for friends and family members who are in their teens and twenties.

The plot of The Mustard Seed focuses on 3 friends (Brian, Mark, and Troy) who just graduated from college, and the challenges they overcome as they adjust to the "Real World." As the plot unfolds, each character goes through a spiritual and intellectual journey (although only one of them will complete that journey).

The Mustard Seed is a coming-of-age story, a love story, and a story about ideas – the big, overarching ideas about love and faith, truth and morality – and how those ideas shape our lives and control our destiny.

I am confident that you will enjoy this gripping, emotionally riveting novel that is finding a wide audience among young people, spiritual seekers, and intellectuals.

On Amazon.com, Liz Harpence gave TMS 5 out of 5 stars. She wrote...

In a word: "Wow!" Todd White - whoever he is - has really put together an amazing book that should be The Catcher of the Rye for my generation (I'm 24). My friend recommended it to me...Anyway, the book was really well-written. By the third chapter, I had already laughed and cried. Seriously. The plot and characters are great. I especially enjoyed the character of Heather Manning. I could really relate to her. She's a strong, independent woman. Sort of like Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged. But unlike Dagny, Heather also has emotional and spiritual depth, which I like. The Mustard Seed is definitely a wonderful read. I can only hope there's a sequel!

You can read the first 5 pages of TMS here. And you can buy it here, here, here, or anywhere, really.

'Tis the Season for Self-Promotion

With December 25th rapidly approaching, don't forget that The Mustard Seed makes a perfect Christmas gift - especially for any of your family members who are in their teens and twenties.

The plot of The Mustard Seed focuses on 3 friends (Brian, Mark, and Troy) who just graduated from college, and the challenges they overcome as they adjust to the "Real World." As the plot unfolds, each character goes through a spiritual and intellectual journey (although only one of them will complete that journey).

The Mustard Seed is a coming-of-age story, a love story, and a story about ideas – the big, overarching ideas about love and faith, truth and morality – and how those ideas shape our lives and control our destiny.

I am confident that you will enjoy this gripping, emotionally riveting novel that is finding a wide audience among young people, spiritual seekers, and intellectuals.

On Amazon.com, Ethan Meyers gave TMS 5 out of 5 stars. He wrote...

I have to say, this was a really, really good book. I didn't know what to expect since I had never heard of the author, and there was only one review on Amazon, but I took a chance and decided to order it. I wasn't disappointed. Once I started reading the book, I had a hard time putting it down. I finished it in 2 days. It's truly amazing how Mr. White was able to explore the thought process and motivations of 3 very separate individuals, and show how their "life philosophy" steered them into different directions. And I will say that I will never look at faith the same way again. Mr. White has some very unique and powerful insights on that. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

You can read the first 5 pages of TMS here. And you can buy it here, here, or here.

Another Positive Book Review (Thanks, Liz!)

There's a new review of The Mustard Seed at Amazon.com...

From Liz Hartpence...

In a word: "Wow!" Todd White - whoever he is - has really put together an amazing book that should be The Catcher of the Rye for my generation (I'm 24). My friend recommended it to me...Anyway, the book was really well-written. By the third chapter, I had already laughed and cried. Seriously. The plot and characters are great. I especially enjoyed the character of Heather Manning. I could really relate to her. She's a strong, independent woman. Sort of like Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged. But unlike Dagny, Heather also has emotional and spiritual depth, which I like. The Mustard Seed is definitely a wonderful read. I can only hope there's a sequel!

At the risk of sounding gushy, it's hard for me to describe how happy I get when reading such positive reviews. In fact, I won't even try. Let me just say: Thank you, Liz.

-Todd

A Very Positive Book Review (Thanks, Ethan)

I keep on forgetting to mention this, but Ethan Meyers from Hartford, Connecticut wrote a very positive review of The Mustard Seed on Amazon.com.

Ethan wrote...

I have to say, this was a really, really good book. I didn't know what to expect since I had never heard of the author, and there was only one review on Amazon, but I took a chance and decided to order it. I wasn't disappointed. Once I started reading the book, I had a hard time putting it down. I finished it in 2 days. It's truly amazing how Mr. White was able to explore the thought process and motivations of 3 very separate individuals, and show how their "life philosophy" steered them into different directions. And I will say that I will never look at faith the same way again. Mr. White has some very unique and powerful insights on that. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Ethan. I appreciate that you not only bought the book (which helps in the money department), read the book, and liked the book, but that you also took the time to write an online review. That was really quite nice.

Who is Troy Dawkins?

As the "Game over Game" continues, one thought repeatedly enters my mind: If I ever worried that my character Troy Dawkins came across as unrealistic - that readers wouldn't believe that a man could be so disrespectful towards women and so nihilistic towards life - and also be loved for those VERY reasons - than that worry has been put to rest. Roissy, thy name is Troy Dawkins. And it sounds like the spirit of Troy lives on in many others.

"Hear Yee, Hear Yee!"

On Tuesday, Dog Ear Publishing sent a press release officially announcing the release of my book, The Mustard Seed: A Story of Life and Faith. So we're officially off and running!

Now's the perfect time to buy your copy. Click here, here, or here.

-Todd

Reason Throughout History

In my original version of the The Mustard Seed, there was an Afterward - a final section of the book which helped flesh out the future of Brian, Heather, and Troy.

Ultimately, I decided that the book worked better without the Afterward, so I discarded it.

However, it contained a section that I'd like to preserve for posterity. In it, Brian and Troy discuss the ceaseless violence and corruption in humanity.

Brian [the narrator] says...

“The root of the problem is, in my opinion, a lack of thinking. If you look back at history, there has been a lot of mindless destruction – led by ruthless men eager to be immortalized by unborn scribes, and carried out by hapless followers, motivated by the simple desire to ‘belong’ and ‘be a part of something larger than themselves.’

“But reason – once it’s unleashed onto the world – is an extremely formidable force. Looking back at history, reason shined at different places in different times – such as Ancient Greece, or Renaissance Italy – only to eventually flicker out. Then, thankfully, reason took root in a virgin continent – and indeed an entire nation was founded on the idea of reason. We live in that nation: The United States of America.

“The Founding Fathers believed in rational principles – freedom, individual rights, democracy, justice – and built a government on those principles. Furthermore, they never saw reason as an enemy of faith. They saw reason and faith as important pillars of their republic. For instance, it was George Washington, our first President, who said, ‘Religion is as necessary to reason, as reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other, and it is impossible to reason without arriving at a Supreme Being.” Decades later, Washington’s republic was preserved by another moral giant – Abraham Lincoln – who orchestrated and won the Civil War with the philosophy – in his own words – that ‘reason, cold, calculating reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defense.’

“Now, please note that the Founding Fathers – and Lincoln – did not create a ‘perfect union.’ Instead, they aspired to create – in the words of the Constitution – a ‘more perfect union.’ They left the task of perfecting it to future generations – and indeed, every generation of Americans has faced challenges to our way of life, and every single time, they have met that challenge – and extended the reach of freedom. I have a feeling we will be challenged again.”

“Is our generation up to the challenge?” Troy asked.

“I think so,” I replied deliberately. “I hope so. But I don’t know for sure. As Ronald Reagan said, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.' If we choose to win, we will win; if we choose not to choose – and leave our destiny in the hands of others - we may very well lose. I think it’s that simple."

“The future belongs to those who want it most,” declared Troy.

“Hmm,” I replied. “I like that.”

Spiritual Rationalism: The Biography of an Idea

In the preface to The Mustard Seed, I wrote the following...

"This is a work of fiction. However, the plot and characters in this book are based on my authentic spiritual and intellectual journey. That journey occurred in my early-to-mid twenties as I adjusted to the peaks and valleys of the 'Real World.' Before I entered that world – back when I was in high school and college - I always hungered for a book that could address 'life issues' in an honest, straightforward, and dare I say inspiring way. Since I couldn’t find such a book, I decided to write one of my own."

In retrospect, some of that of language is misleading. I shouldn't say that my "spiritual and intellectual journey" occurred during "my early-to-mind twenties." Actually, the journey began much earlier than that; the period that spanned my "early-to-mid twenties" was rather, the climax of my journey because that is when I formulated the concept of "Spiritual Rationalism" (which, of course, became the basis of The Mustard Seed).

I don't want to spend a lot of time describing that journey step-by-step (I could literally write an entire separate book about it), but I do want to touch on a few items (with the possibility of expanding on them in a later blog post).

From the earliest days of my childhood until the age of 9, I was an extremely happy boy, and my thoughts on religious matters were limited to the unformed, traditional idea that there was a benevolent God who ruled over the universe (although I never dwelled on it too much).

At 9 years old, my grandfather died. This led to a severe drop in my quality of life, although ironically, it led to a much stronger focus and commitment to Christianity (because, like many folks before me, I saw it as a way to salve my grief and provide meaning to my loss).

This period of religious intensity (and deep emotional investment in Christianity) continued through my early teens, when unfortunately, the quality of my life took another jump into the abyss, and my faith, after years of being unrewarded, started to wane. During high school, the influence of "progressive ideas" started to seep into my brain. Science and history classes joining together to undermine my sense of self. Even worse, I was spending my own free time reading books like Darwin's Dangerous Idea, The Selfish Gene, and The Astonishing Hypothesis, and taking their "reductionist" propaganda as gospel.

Let me provide some context by telling a quick story...In the final weeks of my senior year of high school (spring 1997), I went to have lunch at McDonald's with a friend of mine. I remember telling my friend that I wanted to write a book one day about the dangers of "reductionism." I had just discovered the word "reductionism," and I loved it in a linguistic sense. Wikipedia defines "reductionism" as "an approach to understanding the nature of complex things by reducing them to the interactions of their parts." In science, "reductionism" is radical materialism, and all the ideas that come with it - atheism, Darwinism, Behaviorism, etc. But "reductionism" is more than just science; it's also an entire philosophy with tentacles in literature, history, and especially politics. The phrase reminded me of a scientist examining a beautiful woman, and instead of standing back and admiring her beauty, he grabs his microscope, and starts putting body parts under his lens, so that he can study her cells and thus "truly" understand her. I hated "reductionism." But I thought it was the truth. So what could I truly say? I had no counterpoint; no compelling alternative to offer.

Like Brian Raines, I enjoyed my college years, and with the improvement in my quality of life, my "hardened atheism" melted into a "dreary agnosticism." I didn't spend a whole time thinking about religion. I wasn't confident that I could handle it.

Eventually, it was my entrance into the "Real World" that sparked a renewal in my spiritual search. There were 2 books that were especially influential to me. The first was Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch (which I read in 2001). The second was Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (which I read in 2004). I found the ideas in both books compelling, but they were directly opposed on 2 points. Rand was a militant atheist; Walsch was (and is) a firm believer. Rand prized "reason" as the guide to human ethics and action; Walsch was hung up on a hippie-light version of emotionalism and communitarianism. As for me, I was sympathetic to Walsh's faith, but not his program for living; for that, I preferred Rand's emphasis on the mind, individual rights, and political libertarianism.

If only there was a way to blend the two philosophies...

If only there was a way to blend reason and faith...

If only we had Spiritual Rationalism.

What is spiritual rationalism? See my Dec. 2, 2008 blog post for a brief description.

But enough about that...I started this blog post to 1) share my story about McDonald's, and 2) have a follow-up thought (12 years later) about the dangers of "reductionism."

Clearly, at the climax of my spiritual journey, I understand that "reductionism" is wrong. Wrong in every sense of the word. If I had to define "reductionism," I would say...

"Reductionism's mission is to kill the joy out of life - not by spreading truth, but by spreading lies."

A few other thoughts:

Even back in 1997, when I believed in "reductionism," I never understood how other people (whether they were the teachers or the students) could casually accept it (in contrast to me, who mentally resisted its power and hated it deeply). Even worse that, I couldn't understand how other people actually liked reductionism, saw it as a "good and healthy thing" and sought to spread it into society. Even today, I have no genuine explanation for that. Actually, that's not true; I do have one theory (but that's a blog post for another time).

As you can see, my spiritual journey has been sliced, diced, and implanted into all four characters in The Mustard Seed - Brian, Mark, Troy, and Heather.

And there's some stuff that's truly all my own.

More on that another time. Maybe.

-Todd

The Philosophy of Heather Manning

At its heart, my book, The Mustard Seed, is a philosophical debate expressed through the medium of action – a vivid and emotionally-gripping contest between three unique life philosophies – first: the emotional, self-sacrificing religion of Mark, second: the instinctive, narcissistic nihilism of Troy, and finally: the rational, self-interested, and humble faith of Heather Manning (later termed “spiritual rationalism”).

I think people have a good sense of what Mark and Troy represent – either because they know people who fit neatly inside those representations, or perhaps because they recognize those qualities inside themselves (to varying degrees). But Heather’s life philosophy is quite rare, and as far as I know, never been publicly defended. The best way to describe “spiritual rationalism” is to read The Mustard Seed (especially, Chapter 9), but for those who wish to read the Cliffs Notes version, here it is. “Spiritual rationalism” in 10 easy steps…

1) Spiritualism rationalism begins with the premise that Reality exists, and it exists independent of our personal thoughts or feelings. In other words, there is a “there” out there, which we can perceive with our 5 senses, and not an illusion that we can choose to ignore or manipulate based on our own whims.

At first, this doesn’t seem like a very controversial idea, but in fact, the 2 main thought systems of the modern era (traditional religion and postmodern nihilism) reject that idea. According to traditional religion, God is a very active puppetmaster in human affairs and He suspends the very laws of nature to accommodate requests ranging from the major (winning a war) to the minor (winning a college football game). After all, God’s powers are spelled out in Revelation, and Revelation is the final word.

On the other end of the spectrum, according to postmodernism, Reality is an illusion, our minds are feeble, our senses are futile, and we can never truly be sure of anything. This is the conventional wisdom across most university campuses, and is the view of most “educated people” today.

However, I strongly resist these opinions – and I feel no need to explain it further than a single analogy: Imagine that you and I are in a room with a table. We see the table with our eyes. We touch it with our fingers. We smell it with our nose. If we wish, we can even taste it. Now, if I suddenly ran towards that table, I will trip and fall down– even if I prayed for the table to disappear. If you ran toward the table, the same thing would happen to you. The consequences are always the same. There is a “Reality” out there whether we like it or not.

2) If Reality exists, then reason – and only reason – is the faculty to discover, interpret, and master it. Reason is the highest domain of the mind – focused purely on facts, unswayed by emotion, and in every moment, seeking a constant expansion of one’s knowledge. Reason is a complex and highly demanding tool – primarily because it forces us to be independent in thought, and responsible for our own judgments.

Again, at first glance, the value of reason doesn’t seem very controversial. However, the value of reason is regularly dismissed by both traditional religion and postmodernism. In the case of traditional religion, the key to mastering the world (specifically, God’s world, as revealed through Revelation [not the same thing as “Reality”] is through emotion – the emotional commitment to God, which is something you can “feel” deep inside you once your commitment is strong enough.

However, as Brian points out later in the book, this “feeling” is hard to acquire unless you’ve been raised with it (thanks to your parents). Even then, it can be very unreliable. For the rest of us, feelings change all the time. One minute, you’re on top of the world; the next minute you’re bleeding in a gutter. One minute, you’re at peace with all creation; the next minute you’re mourning the death of a close friend. The roller coaster of emotions can become overwhelming. Given enough time, they can persuade most people to adopt a safe and dreary agnosticism. Even worse, when the valleys of life are at their steepest and longest, those feelings can harden into atheism.

As for the postmodernists, they are equally antagonistic toward reason. After all, what use is reason when Reality itself is an illusion? Instead of reason, they rely on emotion – in this case, the basest instincts produced by man’s body. As Troy explains, “We – as human beings – are not made in the image of God. In fact, there is no God. Every religion is a fraud, and every code of morality is a deception. We are simply animals, and like all animals, our mission in life is simple: eat, shit, fuck, and procreate…We should follow the path of Nietzsche – silencing the voice of our minds, and pursuing pleasure for its own sake.”

Like so many others before him, Troy glorifies nihilism by draping it in the cloak of the rebel, and then makes it respectable by calling it the most “reliable” life philosophy. But the instincts of nihilism – just like feelings of Revelation – are inherently unreliable. Furthermore, they can be harnessed and improved through the focused power of the mind.

Therefore, what is reliable for mankind? Intelligence. Judgment. And above all: Reason.

3) According to reason, “rational self-interest” is the best ethical system for human beings; the best way to go live our lives on a moment-to-moment basis with all of the choices and decisions that come with it.

Why is “rational self-interest” the best system? Because Reality is a condition of separation. Every human being is separate from one another. No human mind can truly connect with another mind, at least in any meaningful sense of the word. And yet, strangely, the universe seems to work quite well this way – with each individual acting, well, as an individual. Think about it: The person who knows the most about you is you. The person who knows the most about your physical and emotional needs is you. The person who is most trustworthy to handle those needs, and to take care of those needs, is you. In a very real sense, the world works best when people put themselves first and foremost – and follow the path of rational self-interest.

This is obviously radically different from both religion and postmodernism. According to nearly all traditional religions, we should always put other people ahead of ourselves. We must sacrifice for others. This is not a natural concept for most people. By definition, sacrificing for others requires a sacrifice of our own minds – a surrender of our judgment and responsibility – for uncertain rewards. Inevitably, there are times when it is rational to deny the demands of others – especially when their values conflict with our own.

And besides, what would a “life of sacrifice” truly look life? Does it mean that we should constantly ask people what we can do for them, and then do it (like some “eager pleaser”)? Needless to say, no religion has provided a coherent answer to that question, so there is a unspoken understanding between the leaders and the led that we can live for ourselves (although we must feel guilty about it), and then do penance for our guilt at appropriate times and places (usually with money).

The ethics of postmodernism is equally detrimental, although less socially acceptable. Basically, for the postmodern nihilist, the idea of self-interest is quite appealing, but it must be “emotional self-interest” of one who follows their instincts. Of course, “emotional self-interest” eventually becomes an easy excuse for reckless narcissism – specifically, drug abuse, recreational sex, and shameless disregard for the needs of others. In time, the greatest victim of that behavior is the nihilist himself.

Bottom line: A life of “rational self-interest” is the healthiest, and dare I say, the only healthy form of existence.

4) So what is in our self-interest? I would argue that a self-interested life is a virtuous life, and there are three virtues which are critical: honesty, responsibility, and justice.

Honesty is the commitment to understand and act upon reality in all cases.

Responsibility is the appreciation that, in reality, each of us chooses our own actions, and therefore, we are ultimately accountable for the consequences of those actions.

Justice is the recognition that every person has the capacity to live honestly and responsibly. Every person is equal in that regard. Thus, all of humanity should be treated as fundamentally equal. This is the ‘golden rule’ in action (“do unto others as others would do unto you”).

These three values – honesty, responsibility, and justice – provide us with a sense of ownership over our lives, and the confidence to surmount any of life’s challenges.

When we choose to practice those values at all times, in all circumstances, we possess the final, all-encompassing virtue, which is loyalty to virtue itself. That is known as integrity.

We should strive for integrity because it benefits us, and not out of some abstract moral principle. Unfortunately, society continues to insist that morality consists of shedding the ego, and working exclusively for the benefit of others. It’s sad that people are forced to choose between self-interest and morality, because that is a false choice they should never have to make. Throughout history, the most important rules of ethics have been the least practiced because they were never wedded to the logic of self-interest.

5) The principle of reason can be applied to another area: faith.

In the last few decades, there has been a quiet revolution in the scientific community – especially in the areas of physics and biology – whereby a growing body of evidence leads to an inevitable and surprising conclusion: it is “rational” to believe in God, and even better, a personal God who has a loving interest in our lives.

Despite the hopes of millions of atheists who hoped that science would eventually destroy God, today there is more “reason” to believe in God than at any time in history. The collection of modern science is immense – especially in physics where a growing consensus is emerging that the universe was “fine-tuned” to support the creation of life. And if life was designed, then there must be a Designer.

New discoveries in biology are also helping the cause – specifically, as we unlock the mysteries of DNA, which is essentially a digital code (and code is always the result of a mental progress).

The increased ability of doctors and hospitals to resuscitate people who were clinically dead for 20 or 30 minutes or longer is also a marvelous development. The survivors usually describe a sudden sense of peace, moving through a ‘tunnel,’ being greeted by relatives who had passed away, and encountering a ‘Being of Light’ that emanates a powerful, unearthly love. Since there isn’t any physiological theory that can explain these “near-death experiences,” it seems reasonable to say that science has inadvertently stumbled on evidence for the soul.

The Mustard Seed covers some of the highlights of these scientific breakthroughs, but there are whole books – such as God: The Evidence and The Devil's Delusion - which go into much greater detail.

The bottom line: it is rational to believe in God and a greater purpose to life.

6) When a rational person achieves faith, they perceive a feeling of completeness, and the desire to share that completeness with others. By completing that desire, they are flooded with an unexpected feeling of “power” - the power to expand oneself – not in a physical sense, of course, but in a spiritual sense. In a very real way, you are leaving the physical limits of your body to recreate a part of yourself inside another person’s soul. That sense, that power, that desire is known as “love.”

Love is the language of God – inspiring us to craft the highest vision of ourselves, and to shape the world in that image. But love is not a sacrifice. Love is not a negation of “spiritual rationalism” – but rather an extension of that philosophy to its highest, and greatest purpose. True love is an expression of rational values, projected not inward, but outward into the world. This concept of love preserves the wholeness of the individual. After all, there is no ‘I love you’ without “I.” “I” comes first. Furthermore, love, like any rational value, must be evaluated based on its costs and benefits. In other words, love should be earned; it is not an entitlement for ungrateful people who may perceive it as weakness.


7) Reason is the only safe home for faith in the twenty-first century. The days of blind faith are over. It’s simply too vulnerable to the rapid increase in human knowledge, and the existential doubt that knowledge inevitably produces. But if faith is conjoined to reason, it has nothing to fear from a person’s intellectual advancement. This partnership is the only way to preserve an honest faith in a rapidly-changing world. Reason and faith are allies, and they’re most powerful when used in tandem, although I will say that reason must come first, now and always.

8) However, every now and then, we are confronted by acts of God – like the death of a young friend – where reason alone can provide no explanation. No amount of raw intelligence can decipher its meaning. During these troubling times, reason itself must be transcended and substituted with faith. Needless to say, this doesn’t mean that reason is pointless. Not at all. Reason must always come before faith, and even God Himself must be evaluated by the facts as we understand them. But ultimately, at the end of the process, we must put our faith in God – because we know, through reason, that God is worthy of that faith.

9) If we stay focused on those facts, our feelings of sadness and doubt will gradually melt away, and a new feeling will spring forth and reenergize us: a feeling of gratefulness.

We should be grateful to God because He has given us the gift of Life – the Life we have now, and the Life we have to come. We love life. Every day, when we wake up and get out of bed, we affirm the value of life. Every breath we take is our personal vote of confidence in God’s plan. After all, very few of us choose to end our lives. And why should we? We are all artists, and the world is our canvass. There are endless possibilities for acts of self-creation. We are what we choose to be. We love life. We protect it, we fight for it, and when it ends, (or at least seems to end) we mourn it. We should also be grateful for it.

We should be grateful because it’s an appropriate response to reality. God has been good to us – and we should honor that goodness.

10) If I had to summarize the message of “spiritual rationalism” into a single word, it would be “think.” I mean, really think. Think about everything! Especially about yourself! I know some people are afraid to think about their own lives. As human beings, we fear what we don’t understand, and all too often, what we understand least is ourselves. But the reality is, when we understand ourselves, we empower ourselves, and the feeling of self-empowerment is the greatest of all feelings.

The root of happiness is the conviction (supported by experience) that you are competent and morally entitled to succeed on this Earth. And you are.


**UPDATE, OCT. 20, 2009**


During the past few weeks, the Christian blogger "Novaseeker" has hosted a major discussion about "Spiritual Rationalism." Overall, I thought the debate between Novaseeker, myself, and his many commenters was stimulating and enjoyable. I've cut and pasted some of the highlights here.

Frequently Asked Questions

I receive some “FAQs” about The Mustard Seed, so I’d like to answer them one-by-one:

1) Who are you?

A) My name is Todd White (actually, that’s my pen name; not my legal name). I am a 29-year old writer living in Arlington, Virginia.

2) I know this book is fiction, but are the events and characters based on real events in your life?

A) The concept of the book (my intellectual and spiritual journey – as expressed through the lives of the four main characters) – is essentially “real.” Specifically, the book’s purpose is to express my “real” journey through fiction. But the specific events and characters in the book are NOT real. In other words, I am NOT Brian Raines (the protagonist), and other characters (such as Heather) are not based on people I know.

3) Why did you write this book?

A) I wrote this book for two main reasons.

First, as I said above, I wanted to express my spiritual journey through the art of fiction. Through fiction, I can use dialogue and action to interpret and give meaning to some of the most challenging aspects of my life.

Second, at the risk of spoiling the book to some extent, I want to provide a solid foundation for my unique life philosophy – which I call “spiritualism rationalism.” As far as I know, I am the only person who has successfully blended together the two main thoughts systems of our time: traditional religion and modern science – and I did it not by splitting them down the middle, but by using them as pillars to raise up a new, and dare I say, better, life philosophy.

4) What is your goal for this book?

A) My goal is both limited and ambitious.

I certainly don’t expect it to be a New York Times best-seller. After all, I’m a self-published author, and since I also have a full-time job, I don’t have the time or talent to market this book effectively. Having said that, I strongly believe in the power of this book. God knows I’ve poured my heart and soul into it. Therefore, my ambition is not to reach a million readers, per se. Rather, it’s to help my readers (no matter their number – whether they’re 10 or 10,000) build a happier and more enjoyable life.

5) How will you be promoting The Mustard Seed?

A) I will be using the typical strategy for a first-time self-published author – giving copies to friends and family, creating a blog, going to book fairs, and hoping that positive “word of mouth” will create a larger audience.

6) What’s next for you? Will there be a sequel?

A) Honestly, I have no idea. Let’s see how The Mustard Seed turns out. Then I’ll make a decision.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to The Mustard Seed blog!

This blog is dedicated to exploring the ideas and concepts behind my first novel, The Mustard Seed: A Story of Life and Faith, which will be published in mid-2009.

I am your host, and humble author, Todd White.

I can summarize The Mustard Seed this way: Catcher in the Rye meets Atlas Shrugged. Basically, it’s a coming-of-age story, a love story, and a story about ideas – the big, overarching ideas about love and faith, truth and morality – and how those ideas shape our lives and control our destiny.

The protagonist is Brian Raines - a smart, decent young man who has just graduated from college, and is having trouble surviving in the “Real World.” As he adjusts to his first job in a strange city, Brian struggles with his identity, and struggles even more to understand what it means to live a “good life.” Like that other embodiment of youthful angst, Holden Caulfield, Brian wins the hearts of readers with his refreshing honesty, deep insecurities, and durable optimism.

At the start of the book, Brian meets two other recent college grads, striking friendships with both of them. Those friendships set the tone for his spiritual journey. The first one is with his new roommate, Mark Williams, who is a kind-hearted, deeply-committed Christian. The second is his new co-worker, Troy Dawkins, who is a brilliant and charming nihilist. Later in the book, Brian meets a beautiful and extraordinary young woman named Heather Manning. After some early mishaps, Brian and Heather start dating, and Heather demonstrates her own life philosophy, which she calls “spiritual rationalism.” As events unfold, each person goes through a spiritual and intellectual journey (although not all of them will survive that journey).

Overall, The Mustard Seed is a gripping, emotionally-riveting novel about some of the most important issues that any human being can face. In light of the recent success of books like The Da Vinci Code, and even TV shows like Lost, there is certainly a public hunger for “big ideas” in entertainment– so long as those ideas are combined with strong characters and fast-paced action.

On all of these fronts, The Mustard Seed overwhelmingly delivers for a waiting American public.