For Christendom College student John Lee ‘29, the inspiration to write his first novel began not at a writing desk, but in a philosophy class—and in a conversation with one of his professors after getting ice cream.
Lee credits his Philosophy of Human Nature course with philosophy professor Mike Brown as the inspiration for To Love Perfectly, a novel exploring the nature of love through the spiritual journey of its main character, Sebestien.
“I had a conversation with Professor Brown about how you need to have imperfect love in order to come to perfect love,” Lee recalled. “I basically had that as the thesis for my book.”
That philosophical question became the foundation for To Love Perfectly, which follows Sebestien on a spiritual journey and pilgrimage as he encounters various forms of imperfect and false love in his search for perfect love. Lee describes the story as drawing inspiration from The Divine Comedy, with philosophical ideas underlying its characters, events, and progression.
“I write everything with intention,” he said.
Lee self-published the book through Barnes & Noble Press, handling much of the work himself, including marketing through word of mouth and social media. He found the writing itself surprisingly natural.
“I generally lean toward the creative side, and I’m a very observant person,” Lee said. “It wasn’t too hard to come up with characters and events and how they lead to the next thing in the plot.”
Although Lee had long enjoyed journaling, becoming a published novelist was not something he expected to accomplish during his college years. Christendom, however, provided both inspiration and confidence.
“I would definitely say Christendom did give me the confidence, and it undoubtedly served as a lot of inspiration for writing To Love Perfectly,” he said, pointing especially to campus life and the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.
Even more influential have been the people he has encountered.
“I have made so many friends, and I have found such a great community I couldn’t find anywhere else,” Lee said. “I’m not only inspired by the campus and setting around me, but the people too, and they have drastically shaped me to be a better person.”
That community has become an important part of Lee’s life at Christendom. A prospective history major and current president of the college’s Film Club, he is also a regular at Swing ’n Sundaes and other campus dances. Some of his favorite moments, however, are far simpler: conversations with fellow students about “just about anything under the sun.”
“I really do believe in Christendom’s education,” he said, “and I believe it definitely has already shaped me in major ways since first stepping onto campus.”
Writing will likely remain part of Lee’s future as well. He is already working on another novel, a historical fiction drama set in his hometown of Gig Harbor, Washington, between 2000 and 2018. This time, the philosophical question at the center of the story will be: “How does goodness die?”
Lee does not envision writing as his only career. He hopes to become a high school history teacher and, eventually, God willing, to teach at the college level. But he expects his future fiction—whether historical or realistic—to continue wrestling with philosophical questions. Someday, he says, he may even publish his journals or write an autobiography.
For now, Lee is grateful for the people who helped him reach his first milestone as an author. He especially thanks God, his parents, Mr. Sean Omera, Mr. McFarland, Professor Brown, and the friends and peers who encouraged him along the way.
What began with a philosophical question in a Christendom classroom has now become Lee’s first published novel—and, with another already underway, likely only the beginning of his efforts to explore enduring questions through fiction.
To Love Perfectly is available in paperback and hardcover.