The Final Summit
by Andy Andrews
In The Final Summit, the character David Ponder is an old man. The archangel Gabriel appears to him. David has been selected to lead a group of some of the wisest people throughout the ages. Humanity is ‘balanced on a precipice’ and these historical figures must decide if and how humanity can be restored. They will need to answer the question, “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?” If they cannot come up with the correct, two word answer in the allotted time-frame, all will be lost.
I’m usually a great fan of Andy Andrews, however this book is the exception. If, in fact, this gathering of people was meant as a meeting of the greatest minds that have ever existed, where were the Asians and Africans of great stature? Only those from the USA and western Europeans made up the bulk of the greatest minds. Where were the First Nations people, Canadians or South Americans? This over-site is too much of an imperialist take on the world.
Even more questionable is the idea that God needed to gather humans to discuss how to change the course of the planet. Seriously – people who did not necessarily even acknowledge His existence or Lordship? It’s more than a little preposterous.
“Do something”. That is the way to save humanity. The Personal Declaration at the end is the best part of the book. Just “do something”. Hitler was a great example of someone who did something. He was quite active in pushing forward to accomplish his goals. Other world leaders initially did nothing to stop him, barely questioned him while he was doing something. Anyone can “do something” – though it’s not always a good “something”.
So no, I cannot imagine that Gabriel, on behalf of “the Boss” (aka God), would find “do something” as the way to keep the world from going to hell in a hand basket. If that’s all we’ve got, then indeed, it might be time to allow the end to come. How about “seek God”, or “trust Jesus” as an optional way in which to save the world?
Fiction is great, and I do love a good allegory. I am not the type that insists that anyone who writes for a Christian publisher must present the 4 Spiritual Laws in everything they produce. However, The Final Summit seems to offers cheap grace and crosses the line into the ‘extra’ biblical, side-stepping some biblical non-negotiables, thus leading some astray.
