IF TRUTH HAD WINGS

About the Book

If Truth had Wings is a selection of 15 of the numerous fictional stories that I have written for an adult audience. They differ from inspirational articles primarily by using unfettered imagination; and by seeding truth, rather than expounding it. Because these stories embody a moral (explicit, or implied), I call them fables—though, some could be called parables, and others allegories.

Consider these unforgettable stories.

Remember George Washington chopping down the cherry tree? And Abraham Lincoln walking a mile just to return a short changed penny? And Martin Luther nailing up his 95 theses? All these ordinary incidents may or may not have happened. But they underscore respective values of truth, honesty, and conviction—character values that tower above these person’s revolutionary accomplishments.

These values arise from the souls of ordinary people with extraordinary vision. In John Bunyan’s allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, we sweat out the struggles that Christian encounters on his torturous way to cross the Jordan river. In the parables of Jesus, we see the kingdom of God explained in simple terms of a sower sowing seed. And in Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, we witness the triumph of a persistent plodding person over a gadabout.

Various moods are mirrored throughout the fables in this book, from the humorous and light, to the serious and dark—all are steeped in imagination. Monty and the Three Crows, for example, magically weaves through all of these.

Lucky’s Escapades concerns a charismatic Air Corps cadet who leads a charmed life. Through three serious encounters, he manages an unassuming nonchalant air that women adore, but men envy.

In the Dock is another humorous, yet serious fable. Here, a feminist lawyer hosts a radio talk-show. The subject concerns the current trial of an alleged rapist. The accusing witness recalls(?) long forgotten events, refreshed under hypnosis. A variety of listeners call in—some sympathetic, others antagonistic. Interruptions by absurd commercials keep the pace light and brisk. One concerned listener does a bit of detective work on his own, which leads to the discovery of the real rapist. The host proves to be a thoughtful and gracious person despite her contentious demeanor.

Have a Life could well be you or me. The subject, trying to enjoy a peaceful rest, grows irritated at the visitors ringing his front door bell. The issues expand in scope with each solicitor—a little girl selling candy for her ‘Robins Nest’, an environmental activist gathering signatures to sway Washington, and a self-styled prophet out to save the world. But the last visitor manages to attract his interest. And in the ensuing action shows him an invaluable lesson in how to treat people.

Ming Vase Mystery seems to be the favorite of most people who have read these fables. This romance, set in ancient China, involves a couple who have recently celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. They cannot trace the donor of an unmarked gift of a blue and white vase. But through a remarkable chain of events, they resolve a centuries old unrequited love between a short-lived emperor and his beautiful bride-to-be. The ending even surprised me when I wrote it.

Last but not least of these fables is Archie and the Hereafter. Under surgery for a brain tumor, Archie shoots out through a tube of light to a place that resembles heaven. At the terminus, he meets his departed buddy, Charlie. Before he can explore this place (actually called, Hereafter), he must visit the weigh-master. He is relieved when he finds that the total of his life’s good deeds edge out the bad. His buddy warns him of a certain tabu word that is not tolerated in Hereafter: “It’s a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ situation.”

Archie and Charlie travel through the three states of Hereafter. In one state, he meets

About the Author

Reflecting a lifetime of experience, Gordon Hansen has contributed numerous articles to the Wilderness Cry (a regional inspirational publication) over the past ten years. In this book, he uses the vehicles of allegory, parable, and fable as wings of truth so that one can soar above life’s adversities.