A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
Week 8: Love, Power, and the Cost of Faithfulness
Read the chapters developing the relationship between Hadassah and Marcus, and the growing danger of Hadassah's position. Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; John 15:13.
Previewing Week 8 of A Voice in the Wind
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
As Marcus and Hadassah draw closer, Rivers forces us to feel the beauty and the impossibility of their connection — and to ask what it means to love someone faithfully when the structures of the world forbid it.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.How would you describe the relationship between Marcus and Hadassah at this point in the novel? Is it friendship, spiritual mentorship, romance, or something that doesn't fit a neat category? How does their difference in social status shape every interaction they have?
2.Hadassah's love for Marcus is real and deep, but Rivers is careful to show it as something she brings to God rather than something she pursues at the expense of God. How does she hold these two loves in tension? What does it look like to love a person well without making them an idol?
3.Marcus is in a position of enormous power over Hadassah — he could take from her whatever he wished by Roman law and custom. The fact that he does not is presented as a kind of moral grace. What does Rivers suggest about the nature of genuine respect for another person, and how does the power differential in their relationship illuminate the dynamics of power in relationships more broadly?
a.How does Marcus's restraint compare with the typical Roman attitude toward slaves?
b.Where in your own relationships does power create the opportunity for either exploitation or honor? Which have you chosen?