Nancy Moser is considered one of the greatest Christian writers of our time. She has won the Christy Award that is given out once a year to the most excellent Christian novels, specifically those that address Christian world views and themes.
Moser won this award in 2003 for her novel titled, “Time Lottery.” This novel’s genre is considered “futuristic,” which is surprising, because after reading “John 3:16” I never would have thought that this author also wrote science fiction books.
One of Moser’s goals in writing “John 3:16” was to keep the reader on edge. She said that if one of her books keeps you up late at night, then “victory is [hers]!” This novel twists in so many different ways you are astounded to see how it all pulls together in the end.
A character named Roman Paulson was recently widowed and his son is the only thing left in his life. At least this is what he believes. His son, Billy, is an all-star football player for the Nebraska Huskers with a very promising future.
Another character, Maya Morano, is a woman who desperately wants a child but is incapable of conceiving. She reaches a point where she will put her ethics aside just to be a mother.
And there’s Velvet Cotton, a middle-aged woman with spunk who runs the concessions stand at the Huskers stadium. She may seem aggressive on the outside, but there is someone who enters her life that makes her heart soften.
All of these people’s lives are interconnected. One thing each of them end up having in common is the reappearance of John 3:16 in their lives. One by one, each person experiences something unexpected, whether it be tragedy or love, and each time the same symbolic phrase appears.
John 3:16 states: “For God so loved the Earth that He gave his only begotten Son, and whoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
It can be explained in many different ways with each character in the novel able to live through a different part of that verse that will change them forever.
I highly recommend reading this novel, because it’s like a small, entertaining Bible study in its pages. For some people in the novel, a simple verse could change their perspective on life from living a life of greed to a life of generosity and giving.
The one verse touched them all, but it’s up to them to take the signs from God and become a Christian.
Laura Maxwell, Staff Writer
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