The Story
Set in a Nigerian village, the novel centers on Ekpe, a courageous young man who falls deeply in love with the beautiful Ebitimi. Their love, however, is threatened by a traditional bride-price that Ekpe cannot afford.
What begins as a personal struggle opens into a larger story.
As Ekpe and several other young men pursue integrity, courage, and faith in God, they begin to challenge despair and stagnation in their village. Through perseverance and trust in God, they carry a torch that brings renewed hope—spiritually, relationally, and economically.
- Over time:
- Hearts are changed
- Relationships are restored
- Christian revival begins to take hold
- Sound moral and business principles lead to real prosperity
- Even Ebitimi’s father, once resistant, is transformed—reducing the bride price and opening the way for a marriage that signals more victories yet to come.
A Story of African Renewal
The novel consciously engages African history and culture. It stands in dialogue with Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, which portrayed African society unraveling under the pressures of colonialism.
Things Come Together offers a contrasting vision.
Where Things Fall Apart depicts social collapse, Things Come Together portrays restoration:
- Not through colonial power
- Not through violence
- But through a life-giving relationship with God
In this story, Africa is not merely a recipient of influence—it carries the torch, lighting the way toward spiritual renewal and a well-ordered society.
Faith, Hope, and Love in Narrative Form
What Grabill’s theological books explain conceptually, Things Come Together shows narratively.
Through character, conflict, and resolution, the novel illustrates:
- Faith as trust in God amid uncertainty
- Love as commitment, sacrifice, and fidelity
- Hope as confidence that God can transform both people and communities
These dynamics are not named abstractly; they are lived—in decisions, relationships, and perseverance.
Why This Novel Matters
Many readers understand faith intellectually but struggle to see how it applies across cultures and real-life situations.
This novel demonstrates that:
The gospel speaks meaningfully within African culture
Christian faith can honor tradition while transforming it
Spiritual renewal has social, relational, and economic consequences
Faith, hope, and love are not Western ideas, but universal spiritual realities
Who This Book Is For
Readers who enjoy story-driven Christian fiction
Those interested in African culture and society
Christians who want to see theology lived out, not just explained
Readers drawn to themes of love, renewal, and spiritual courage
Those seeking a narrative complement to Larry Grabill’s theological works
How This Book Fits the Larger Vision
- Plugged-in to the Dynamic Word explains faith, love, and hope as spiritual dynamics
- Foresight reveals the overarching biblical plot
- Revelation Unrolled shows how those dynamics conquer in history
- Things Come Together shows how they are lived on the ground, in culture and community
This novel brings the vision down to earth.
Book Details
Things Come Together: The African Carries the Torch
Author: Larry Grabill
With Etim Edumoh and Veronica Bassey-Duke
Final Word to the Reader
Things Come Together invites readers to step into another world—and to see how God’s purposes unfold when people align their lives with faith, hope, and love.
It is a story of love fulfilled, communities renewed, and a torch carried forward.
Availability
Things Come Together: The African Carries the Torch is available online.
Formats:
- Paperback
- Kindle eBook