An Interview with Andrew Huff,
Author of A Cross to Kill
Q: A Cross to Kill is your
first book release. Tell us about your journey to become an author.
A: Storytelling is something that’s been a
part of my life since an early age, though I wasn’t convinced I could actually
bean authoruntil much later in life. I would write stories every day using
toys, sometimes turning those stories into drawings, and on occasion, writing
ideas down. I spent my high school years telling stories through video, even
helping develop narrative projects with my home church. Yet I still wasn’t
motivated to sit down and attempt to write something longer than a five-minute
screenplay. That changed right around the time I finished college.
I was an avid reader growing up, and after
finishing my undergraduate degree, I started consuming full length mystery/suspense
novels. The problem I ran into was that many of the authors I enjoyed did not
hold to the same worldview or values that I did. And whenever I founda thriller
that did, I was often left wanting. So, I decided if I couldn’t find the type
of book I wanted to read, then I should try to write it. It took many years of
learning the craft and discovering the right story before I was able to sit
down and not only start, but successfully finish, a full length, action-packed,
suspense story that I was ready to share with readers.
Q: Introduce us to your new series,
and specifically A Cross to Kill. What inspired the story?
A: I love letting real-life events inspire
fiction, and my new series is no exception. When I first started developing the
storyline, there were a handful of high-profile executions of journalists at
the hands of terrorists overseas. What made these executions unique to this era
was the fact that videos of the killings were spread across the internet. As these
tragic events were taking place, I found myself wishing someone had intervened.
Thus, the rescue attempt at the beginning of A Cross to Kill was born.
The other aspect of real-life that inspired
the story was my own experience in ministry and the reality of how unique that
calling is in the life of a person. I not only spent time in local church
ministry myself, but my father was also a small country church pastor during my
early elementary years. I loved the idea of capturing the fish-out-of- water
experience of someone who did a very different job finding themselves learning
what it means to spiritually care for a group of people. I also have to admit,
I’m greatly inspired by the thrills of such action franchises as Mission:
Impossible, Jason Bourne, and James Bond. I want my series to take
the Bible and the Church seriously while offering the same kind of jaw-dropping
action those novels and films excel at.
Q: The main character, John Cross, is
a small-town pastor with a top secret past the members of his church would find
hard to believe. What are some of things John left behind in his former life?
A: John didn’t just leave behind a past filled
with poor choices and immoral behavior. Almost immediately, we get a sense that
he performed actions in his role with the CIA and on behalf of his country that
he is unable to forgive himself for. At a key moment in the story, we discover
that John’s marksmanship was put to use by his superiors in unpleasant ways.
You’ll have to read the book for all the details, but what I can say is John
can’t help but evaluate his actions through a rigid view of Scripture, and as a
result he’s struggling to believe God could truly forgive him.
What I find interesting is the theological
question surrounding his previous life that he’s finding himself at odds with.
Is the taking of a human life ever justifiable? There’s much to unpack with
that question, but when we first meet John,he’s not yet taken the deep plunge
into his theological training, and therefore, has very black and white opinions
on complicated issues. This creates a conflict within him as he struggles to
cope with the memories of his time with CIA and strive to live under the
forgiveness of God in Christ.
Q: What events led up to John finding
and following Christ?
A: John’s conversion has already happened whenA
Cross to Kill begins, butlater in the book we get to hear his version of
it. It’s a rather unconventional story, but that’s what I like about it. The
fact that his conversion happens while he’s on assignment is such a great
picture of the two competing forces in his life, that of his ingrained training
and his newfound commitment to Christianity.
The short version is that after performing
operations of a lethal nature with the CIA for so long, John lost his sense of
humanity. While tracking a target in Spain, he ends up in a cathedral during a
Catholic service. Unable to understand the liturgy, he still found himself
drawn to the religious symbols. Compelled to know more about the man hanging
from the cross, he forgot about his target, found an English Bible at a local
shop, and devoted himself to knowing more. While everyone’s story is different,
John’s story is one of God reaching down with an irresistible draw to set aside
an undeserving man for His great purpose.
Q: What are some of the faith
struggles that John faces along the way that readers can identify with?
A: I know there are faith struggles John faces
that readers can identify with because they are ones I struggle with even to
this day! For one, John can’t seem to shake loose from past habits and
hang-ups. Sometimes those habits can be used for good, but more often than not,
John finds himself fighting to walk in faith and love and not let his flesh
take control when things go awry. Much of the Christian life is about this same
battle. I am at constant odds with the desires of my flesh, and at times, I
have sympathized with the ancient monks who punished themselves to try and
defeat their own impulses (a practice called flagellation, and one which John
has adapted in his own way).
Another faith struggle that I know many
readers can identify with is the difficulty of accepting God’s forgiveness for
not only the sins we’ve committed in the past, but the sins we will commit in
the future. John struggles to believe God could forgive him for what he did
while in the employ of the CIA, and that affects his ability to pass
forgiveness on to others. This is something I, myself, have also found
difficult. It’s not hard to believe God might forgive a single mistake here and
there, but after failing again and again and again, it’s easy to expect a limit
to God’s forgiveness. That’s when we can become trapped in the erroneous belief
that faith is not enough, and we must work to retain God’s favor.
Q: Writers usually write what they
know. Is there any of you in John Cross?
A: If there was, I wouldn’t be allowed to tell
you. Just kidding! The more exciting aspects of John’s story are nothing like
mine, and I only wish I had half of his intuition and skill. It is true,
however, that writers usually write what they know, and I’m no exception. The
part of me in John Cross is less the man and more the day-to-day experience in
local church ministry.
When I wrote A Cross to Kill, I was on
staff with a Southern Baptist church in Central Virginia, though a much larger
church than Rural Grove. So much of what John experiences with the church and
its members is based on real experiences that I drew from during my time on a
church staff as well as from growing up as a preacher’s kid in rural Tennessee
churches. The congregants we get to know are not based on individuals as much
as an amalgamation of wonderful people I had the opportunity to get to know
through the years.
Q: The book description states that A
Cross to Killis not only a
riveting story of suspense, it’s also a deep exploration of the moral
quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a
violent world. Can we talk more about the moral quandaries?
A: A big moral quandary John faces, and I
believe many of us wrestle with, is whether there is any legitimate
justification for the taking of the life of another person. Is it ever right to
kill another person? The Scripture could not be clearer that we are not to
murder, and Jesus goes further by condemning any hateful thought toward a
fellow human. There is much more Scripture to consider on the issue, but the
answer to the question is not cut and dry.
The debate always seems to yield the same
“yes,” “no,” and “sometimes,” answers. I didn’t want to try and provide a rigid
response one way or the other in the novel, but I did wanted the characters to
wrestle with thequestion and answers. Naturally, they probably wouldn’t
ultimately agree. But for John in particular, what the characters decide, would
drive the decisions they make when faced with danger. This is what we have to
understand about the issue ourselves: If we believe Scripture gives a clear
answer, whatever answer that might be, we must be prepared to let that answer
influence how we respond to particular situations and issues regardless of how
unconventional and perhaps even countercultural that may be.
Q: Is it possible to truly put our pasts behind us? How
should we respond when our previous mistakes and decisions don’t stay in the
past?
A: I don’t believe it’s possible to truly put
our pasts behind us, and I don’t think that’s ever been God’s intention. We see
many times in the Scriptures how God seeks to remind His people not only of the
good they’ve experienced, but also the bad. The past is not meant to be
forgotten, but to shape our response today. And that can be both the pleasant
memories as well as the painful regrets we carry from before.
When we remember God’s goodness in our past,
it is cause for celebration and worship. In much the same way, when our
previous mistakes and decisions come back into our present, it is a moment for
us to acknowledge how God continues to be good in the midst of a broken world.
We see His goodness in the fact that those mistakes are still covered by the
blood of Jesus Christ and there’s nothing we did then or could even do now to
change that. When our past mistakes return and remind others of pain we may
have caused, it’s important to not only acknowledge God’s grace and mercy but
also seek reconciliation and restoration to the best of our ability.
Ultimately, when we humble ourselves before the Lord, He is faithful to do a
work in us and in others so that even in our shortcomings, He can be glorified.
Q: Without giving away too much, what
can readers expect as the Shepherd Suspense series continues?
A: I’m so excited to continue the story with
these characters, and I can’t wait for readers to pick up the next books in the
series. One thing that is true about the Christian life is that it is a
life-long pursuit of Christlikeness includes many ups and downs. We won’t find
our sanctification complete this side of heaven, and so neither will my
characters!
For John, he may have crossed a hurdle with
accepting God’s forgiveness for his past, but that doesn’t mean he’s dealt with every decision he’s made leading up to becoming
the pastor of Rural Grove Baptist Church. And John’s not the only one with a
complicated past. The thing I’m most excited about sharing is the action-packed
twists and turns that promise to keep the characters on their heels and the
readers up past their bedtimes.
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