Novelist spreads a gospel message

Estimates say about one in eight Americans have read at least one book of the "Left Behind" series of Christian novels about the end of the world.

That means a lot of people know how the series ends but, maybe, not much about how it began or the men behind it.

Jerry B. Jenkins wrote the words. Tim LaHaye provided the biblical background and context.

Jenkins returned to some of his local roots Thursday night when he spoke at a fundraiser for Wheaton Christian Grammar School. The campus soon will relocate to a new, $20 million expanded facility.

Jenkins spoke on the value of a Christian education. Before his appearance, he took time out for questions with the Daily Herald.

Q. There are at least 65 million readers of the "Left Behind" series. Out of those, how many of them becoming Christian believers would it take for you to feel fulfilled by your work?

A. Well, any would've been great. We don't know how many. But between Dr. LaHaye and me, we've heard from more than 3,000 who tell us. And that's personally. They tell us either by phone, or in person, or by e-mail. And we assume that represents a lot more who just never have a chance to tell us.

We've never apologized for the fact that it's fiction. But we believe it's really going to happen some day. It is a message.

Q. How does it feel to leave behind "Left Behind"? Is it really over?

A. Sometimes you wonder. We were afraid that Tyndale (House Publishers) would ask for a book for every year of the millennial kingdom. The first one came out in the fall of '95. So after 12 years, it was sort of a melancholy thing to write the last one and be done with it. But it was time to move on. It's been great. It totally changed my life.

Q. You spent more than a year working with the Rev. Billy Graham on his autobiography. How did that change you?

A. He's probably the most impressive person I've ever met. That was the privilege of a lifetime. It really was. And he's the same behind closed doors as he is in public. He's a fantastic man.

Q. What do you think the impact will be to the Christian faithful when he passes?

A. I think it's going to surprise the secular world. They're going to have to have memorials in various cities like Wheaton, Minneapolis, Charlotte. And, I think, they're going to be incredibly attended, like for a president. I think it'll really surprise the press and secular world. He's just been a giant. Anytime you raise his name, somebody in the crowd will tell you they became a believer through Graham somehow.

Q. Religion is always a touchy subject. People have differing beliefs. How do you respond to people who think that you've just gotten Jesus' message wrong?

A. Well, the only time it bothers me is when they question our motives.

There are people who disagree. And there are people that we admire and respect, and people who we believe are believers who disagree with us. And that's OK.

We live in a free country, and we're just competing in the marketplace of ideas. Our feeling is, if you disagree, write your own book and get it out there and see what the market decides. I know my motive, and I know Dr. LaHaye's motive, and it's simply to try to tell people what's coming.

If people disagree, or scoff, or laugh, or reject it, that's their right. And we're not going to fly airplanes into buildings because people disagree with us. We're not going to kill people. We're supposed to love people, even our enemies. So my goal would be to say, "Look, we're just sharing this, and what you do with it is up to you."

Q. Nicolae Carpathia is your favorite character in the Left Behind series. Why?

A. He's the ultimate villain. You can't have a better villain than the anti-Christ. I think the most fun part of him was, for the first 3½ years, until he showed his true colors, he's going to be so impressive that people will think he's God incarnate.

I remember one of my sons was in high school, and I'd finished the first manuscript. He's reading the manuscript, and he's about halfway through and he said, 'I hope this Carpathia guy isn't the anti-Christ because I really like him.' And I thought, well then, we really nailed him because he has to be that impressive.

I clearly don't like the anti-Christ -- what he's up to. But it's a novelist's dream to write with a villain like that.

Q. There's a lot of people out there who read the Bible and struggle with various parts of it. What are the parts of the Bible that you struggle with, and what are the parts that strengthen you?

A. I get a lot of strength from the Psalms and Proverbs and the New Testament, a lot of writings of Paul and the Gospels. But Revelations was always the toughest one for me, too, because it always seemed like it was so symbolic and figurative. Any time I'd ever heard anybody speak of it, they always tried to do it allegorically.

When I met Dr. LaHaye, he said, "Look, I'm not a wooden literalist. I don't believe everything that it says is literal like Jesus will slay people with a sword from his mouth. Clearly that's the word. But where you can take it literally, do it, and see how it makes sense."

Using that, I wrote the novels that way. When John the Revelator, instead of comparing and saying like unto or as unto, he just says I looked, and I saw this, and it was hail and fire and blood from the sky. We used that, literally, and put the characters in the way of that. And millions of people said it just came to life for us for the first time. Instead of trying to figure out 200 different ways to interpret it, just take it literally where you can.

Local ties of 'Left Behind' author Jerry Jenkins

• Grew up in Elk Grove Village, where his father, Harry, was the second police chief in the village's history (1963-1978).

• Went to Forest View High School in Arlington Heights

• Moved to Carol Stream shortly after his marriage to Dianna.

• Bought his first two homes in Wheaton

• Former Daily Herald high school sports correspondent