
DATE: Thursday, October 2, 1997             TAG: 9710020810

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROY A. BAHLS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   80 lines

AUTHOR SHARES INSIGHT THAT "GOD IS OUR BEST FRIEND"

MANY PEOPLE say they talk to God, but only a few claim to have had long and rambling conversations in which truisms concerning love, life, health, reincarnation, karma, ESP, money and sex are doled out by the Almighty.

Neale Donald Walsch says he's had such talks, and what emerged from those heavenly chats were a couple of best-selling books, ``Conversations With God'' and its sequel.

Walsch will be speaking at the ``Conversations With God'' conference running today through Sunday at the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach.

It was five years ago, at a time when Walsch was frustrated with how his life was going, that he sat down and dashed off an angry letter to the Universe.

``I asked, `What does it take to make my life work?' '' the 54-year-old author recently said from his home in southern Oregon. ``To my shock and surprise, I received a reply. My mind was filled with thoughts which seemed very much like someone talking to me. The words that I was hearing were so important that I felt forced to put them down on paper.''

His ``Conversations With God - an uncommon dialogue'' has sold millions and has been on the New York Times best-seller list for 41 weeks. It was followed by ``Book 2,'' which has been on the list for 19 weeks. The books have been translated into 24 languages, and there are also audio books featuring the voices of Ed Asner and Ellen Burstyn.

``Book 3'' is due to be released in the fall of 1998.

``I think the human race has lost patience with itself,'' Walsch said. ``People have risen to a new level of willingness and courage to consider alternative ways of moving through life, alternative ways of relating to God, alternative ways of relating to each other.''

Walsch's books have raised some eyebrows with their matter-of-fact statements.

``It isn't my intent to convince people of anything, any more than Pavarotti is trying to convince anyone of anything when he sings his beautiful songs,'' Walsch said. ``It's not a question of convincing anyone of anything. I'm simply sharing my experience, and people can take from that what they will.''

The books have also showcased the works of local artist Louis Jones. His painting on the cover of ``Book 1'' shows a questioning human figure with his arms outstretched in front of an oval lake backed by snow-covered mountain peaks. The ``Book 2'' painting features the figure leaping from a rock.

``It is just the perfect illustration for this book,'' Walsch said.

Along with his writing and speaking engagements, Walsch runs ReCreation, the nonprofit organization he founded. It sponsors seminars, programs, workshops and retreats as well as offering publications and a spiritual counseling hotline.

``We have no goals set, like we are going to have 20,000 converts by the year 2000 or a certain number of members,'' he said of his organization. ``We have no goal except to be of help to anyone who wants to better understand this material.''

Sharing the knowledge is important to Walsch.

``If there was one thing I would wish that everyone would really know as well as I know it, it's that God is our best friend,'' Walsch said. ``If we could stop fearing God and stop being afraid of God and just know it's going to be all right, in that moment the human race would make a gigantic leap forward in its ability to heal itself. Because the human race must first heal its relationship with God before it can heal itself.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Author Neale Donald Walsch...

Color photo

"Book 1" has been on the New York Times best-seller list...

Graphic

WANT TO GO?

What: ``Conversations With God'' conference.

When: Today through Sunday (Neale Donald Walsch speaks Saturday

and Sunday).

Where: Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia

Beach.

Cost: $315, $275 for A.R.E. members. Individual lecture tickets

available.