Acest prezent Intunecat

FOREWORD
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK me, Which of your books is your favorite? Of
course, as any parent would speak of his children, I reply that I prize all of
my books, and it’s hard to pick a favorite. Each book is unique, reflecting a
particular time in my life, a stage of growth, something I was learning,
pondering, and experiencing. You can almost trace Frank Peretti’s spiritual
journey by reading his books.
But having said all that, I can tell you that This Present Darkness holds a
special place in my heart because it was my very first novel, written during a
time of dark discouragement and bitter struggle. I was in my midthirties, I’d
pursued many dreams with no enduring success, and now I was a frustrated,
burned-out former minister working in a ski factory with only one dream left:
to be a writer. When Crossway Books called me to say they would publish
my book, that was probably the pivotal moment of my life.
What inspired this book? Nothing in particular and a lot of things in
general. Twenty-five years ago, the drug tripping of the sixties was
“maturing” into the neopaganism of the late seventies, and demons—and
their doctrines—were gaining a weird, glassy-eyed respect from the popular
culture; Star Wars was a smash hit movie that dazzled us with sights, sounds,
and spectacles from other worlds; Superman and Indiana Jones were reviving
the mystique and appeal of the “superhero.” Somewhere in all this mix of
spirit and spectacle, I envisioned a story that would convey the dangers and
workings of warfare in the spiritual realm. I envisioned a movie-of-the-mind,
a fiery-winged flight through dimensions never dreamed of, blade-to-blade
encounters with the ugliness of spiritual evil, and the triumph, the blazing
white light of God’s holy angels, slingshot to victory by the prayers of
struggling saints. For five years I dreamed, fantasized, and “played pretend”