The unparalleled fact of literature is that age does not discriminate regarding the authors to whom the world owes its gratitude for their tireless efforts in contributing to the timeless catalogue of literary works. Whereas the world of business and administrative government offers their token thanks of supermarket mud cake and tinned coffee as they wave goodbye at those senior citizens to whom the options are retire or your position is made redundant, the world of writing, whether it be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, knows no age barrier. Indeed, some might say that with the accumulation of years, there is also a universe of wisdom, which keeps on expanding as the writer reaches each milestone of the unmerciful tick-tock of the clock. It is an extraordinary universe of wisdom when a nonagenarian writes a novel. Still, it’s a colossal multiverse when two nonagenarians collaborate to write a novel imbued with erudition, hope, goodwill, and a ubiquitous theme so rich with knowledge that were it to be embraced and applied by humanity, we would truly evolve into a utopian global community. Yet this is the precise dynamic of Walk in the Spirit, co-authored by Everal Compton and Neill Florence, both of whom are established authors in the world of literature, and, remarkably, are both aged 94. That is 188 years of erudition woven into a thought-provoking novel, of which its legacy for the reader is an enduring spirit of goodwill.

Walk in the Spirit follows the spiritual awakening of its female protagonist, Alma, from her shedding the restrictive cloth of mainstream religion, and instead, embracing the core philosophical principles of the people of each religious belief, people for whom the institution of religion still attempts to archaically elevate them into the fanciful realms of mysticism, when it is their ethos to which society should pay due regard. In breaking free of the shackles placed upon her by her mainstream religion, Alma embarks on a metaphysical journey of enlightenment, during which she deviates from societal norms and expectations of the person to whom she should become betrothed, not to, but with, and seal that bond of love in a marriage that spans both continents and philosophies. From that union emerges a movement of goodwill grounded not in mysticism. Instead, it’s fastened to the wisdom of the core principles of the ancient prophets, for whom mainstream religion has abandoned their philosophy in preference for the subservience of devotion to fanciful mysticism. The philosophical journey is confronted by moments of trepidation, yet the power of love, forgiveness, panoramic equality, and, most importantly, munificence, conquer humanity’s Dark Triad of aggression, greed, and cruelty.

Like its non-fiction predecessor of Walking with the Man, But Not to Church, Everald’s and Neill’s novel is not grounded in religious propaganda. I am not religious, even though I endured eight years of my primary and secondary education being devoted to ‘religious education’, I am far removed from the world of religion. So, it may be said about Everald’s and Neill’s novel. Indeed, like its predecessor, Walk in the Spirit is written for those members of society who are not religious, and, for clarity, the novel does not attempt to convert atheists or agnostics. Rather than trying to convert people, Walk in the Spirit is interwoven with the utopian themes of basic human decency that are not a pipedream, yet humanity expends twice as much energy resisting those virtuous qualities. Indeed, it is unfathomable that the non-fiction predecessor to this novel almost led to Everald Compton being removed from the Uniting Church as an elder because he disavowed the anachronisms of an afterlife and Jesus of Nazareth’s divinity. However, that is the fundamental flaw of religious institutions, for they are intent on servitude rather than emancipation.

Walk in the Spirit will not convert you into a religious person, but it will enlighten you about how simple it is for humanity to embrace untrammelled egalitarianism. Marvellous work, Everald and Neill.