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For many, reading books is a popular pastime…whether on an actual page or on a portable screen. For some, the allure is in the story’s plot; for others, the action is the attraction. Still others are enthralled by the characters.
And thanks to one charity event, a few lucky readers got the chance to actually become the characters in their favorite authors’ books.
In 2005, 16 world-renowned authors banded together to raise money for The First Amendment Project. Writers such as Stephen King, John Grisham, and Nora Roberts offered their services to the charity organization that provides writers, journalists, and artists with legal advice on matters that pertain to free speech.
But the way these writers offered their help was quite interesting. The prize-winning authors hosted an online auction (on Ebay, of course) that allowed readers to be the highest bidder and have their real names used as characters’ names in the author’s upcoming books.
Yep. Your real name in a real book written by a real New York Times bestselling author.
But bidders beware! Stephen King, the world’s leading horror writer, warned his fans that the “winner” would be killed in his story. Peter Straub cautioned his bidders by saying that the role up for grabs may be one of “dubious moral character.”
Who can resist an offer like that? Evidently, very few. The charity event went on to raise $150,000 for the cause, and has been repeated several years since.
It seems like a lot of people are willing to pay a lot of money to have their names appear in a book….
Sadly, there will come a time when many people will wish that they could pay to have their names written in a very different book, one that the Bible calls the Book of Life. The Apostle John describes it this way in Revelation 20:11-15.
And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the One who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The good news is, there’s no bidding involved in having your name put in this Book. It’s not left up to chance. It’s left up to you.
If you can only have your name in one book, this is the Book to have it in!
Click here for the online report.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Bet
Bible
Books
Charity
Eternal Life
God’s Power
Identity
Judgment
Money
Name
Salvation
Warning
Win
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
