I’m very happy to introduce Dr. Sandra Glahn as our guest this week on The Story behind the Story. She has a fascinating tale to tell us, but first, let’s hear a little about the book.

 Dr. Jeremy Cramer is a young physician on the verge of a cutting-edge medical discovery. But his research is derailed when Cramer’s son, partly due to his father’s negligence, is infected with a fatal disease. As he races against time to save his child’s life, Cramer will face decisions that could shatter his career and wreck his marriage.  

Sounds so intriguing. What inspired you to write it?

 I was dining one night with a friend who’d recently delivered a baby, and her parents were in town to celebrate. My friend’s father directed the boots-on-the-ground wing of an international Christian aid organization, and when I inquired about his travels, I learned he’d visited thirty-eight countries that year. So, I asked him what he considered the most exciting development in the world. To my surprise he described how the African nations and their churches were working together quite effectively—more effectively than in the US.—to fight the HIV-AIDS epidemic.

We talked at length about the complex issues all these leaders were up against. The option of free contraception introduced fears about enabling immorality. Many shunned the sick, assuming the disease was transmitting by sharing spoons and forks. And the typical response of family and friends was to blame victims. These included babies infected by their moms; kids with hemophilia getting HIV from tainted blood; and the unsuspecting who contracted HIV from unfaithful spouses.  

The stories of the abuses endured by those who got the disease through no “fault” of their own especially affected me. But even those who were “guilty”—what about them? Had American Christians not received God’s grace for our sins? Why take the approach that people should have to waste away because of what they’d done? The churches in Kenya and Uganda and Nigeria were using the healing power of good medicine to share the gospel. Why not us?  

That conversation stayed with me for months. As I constantly observed a judgmental approach vs. a grace-filled one, I determined to tell a story primarily for my U.S. audience. And I knew it must include a person who contracted HIV-AIDs through no “fault” of her own. The result: Informed Consent.   

Dr. Sandra Glahn teaches writing and storytelling at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is the author or coauthor of more than thirty books.

Twitter: @sandraglahn

Facebook: /aspire2

Website: www.aspire2.com

Buy link: http://aspire2.com/product/lethal-harvest-2/

Sandra is giving away a digital copy of the book. To enter, just follow the instructions below.

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Thanks so much for joining us, Sandra!