No Random Act
Behind the Murder of Ricky Byrdsong

This is the astonishing true story of two lives, two paths, two spiritual forces that crossed one fateful day.

On July 2, 1999, we had been working with Ricky Byrdsong on his book, Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life, when a white supremacist went on a shooting rampage in Illinois and Indiana, targeting ethnic minorities. One of the victims was Ricky Byrdsong, the beloved former Northwestern University basketball coach.

Was it a senseless act by a deranged killer acting alone? Or just the tip of a massive "racial holy war"--one that is now heating up as whites become a minority in our society and hate groups prey on their fears? The foreign extremists who inspired 9-11 are not the only "terrorists" in our midst. The World Church of the Creator and other hate groups want us to "get back to normal" and forget about what happened on that July 4th weekend. But Ricky Byrdsong's story helps us remember that the choices we make in life really matter.

In No Random Act, we dig into the origins of the World Church of the Creator (WCOTC) and investigate the dark spiritual influences that sent an affluent young white man on a shooting rampage. Told as dramatic nonfiction, this exposé of a hate group intertwines with the life story of Ricky Byrdsong--a man known for his integrity and faith in God, a man who held no animosity even against his enemies, a man who brought people together from all walks of life. Moving beyond tragedy, No Random Act is a compelling wake-up call to the spiritual realities behind the headlines.

We hope you will click on the "Prologue" button to the right to get a taste of this powerful book echoing poet Bob Dylan's song, "You're gonna have to serve somebody!" Will it be the devil or the Lord?

For a behind-the-scenes peek at what it was like to write a book like this, dealing with a hate group and the spiritual forces behind it, click on the "Author's Notes" button.

You might also find interesting some supporting material not included in the book.

• Click on the "Mennonites" button to discover why the Mennonites--whose rich Christian heritage Ben Klassen, founder of the WCOTC, rejected!--were in Russia.
• Click on the "Christianity" button to read a critique of Klassen's complaints against Christianity.
• Click on the "Cracks in the Facts" button to discover how faulty the WCOTC's charges are against Jews.

Ricky Byrdsong lived to serve God, family, and community. But the forces of hate conspired to make him a martyr. Discover why in No Random Act!