The Babylonian empire is one of those civilizations in history that most of us know of. Among reasons anthropological, agricultural, and mathematical, there is one significant reason the kingdom sticks out in history. One of its rulers, King Nebuchadnezzar, made a name for himself in a way not of his malevolent designs. God used him to orchestrate a moment in which he powerfully revealed himself. It’s a moment in biblical history when God reminded his people, the Israelites, exiled in Babylon, that he was still with them and faithful to them. Jerusalem and the temple were smoldering heaps thousands of miles away, but God was still their God, faithful to his covenant with them.
I wrote this story not of my own accord to expand my portfolio but to fulfill contractual obligations in partnership with Kingdom Story Ministries, a non-profit organization in University Place, Washington. They contracted me to write a compilation of creative short stories that they would later publish as a devotional book. They planned to print the book in Quarter 1 of this year. Due to scheduling complications during the contract, the draft I handed them at the end of my term was not final. I had written 30 stories, drafted at an average pace of 1 and a half weeks.
Not all the stories needed reconstructive surgery. There was one that had character, shape, and color. I had in my hands this one story that worked. It had all the ingredients pre-baked into the original text, making for a smoother, more expedited creative process. It took 10 hours of non-stop writing and editing to produce a wordy (if not strong) first draft on day one. Though a little unrefined, it nonetheless bursts with characterization and drama. I was excited to share it.
Now, almost a year later, after several proofreading seasons with friends and family, it’s close enough to perfect to share here. The book itself, which will contain this story and twenty-nine others, doesn’t have a publication date; enjoy In the Flames of Exile on PDF below.