Mark Trager's early life was made up of seemingly opposing ideologies and beliefs. Born in an observant Messianic Jewish home near Atlanta, raised by a Jewish father from Queens and a Christian mother from the Dominican Republic, Shine, the first book of his anthology series Seasons, presents poetry that give a glimpse into the mind and heart of a boy struggling with spiritual, relational, and emotional growing pains. Written during a tumultuous period from 2005 to 2008, the poems show the highs and lows of life but also where Mark was refocused and regrounded during those times. He struggled with major life changes including a crumbling home and social life that led to a pivotal identity crisis. Mark was at a crossroads and he cried out and a Light made Its presence fully known in his life. The poems in Shine were his first steps not only in writing but also into worship and prayer to the Jewish Messiah he had heard about throughout his youth but never fully understood or cared to see—Jesus, also called Yeshua. Despite what was going on around him or inside of himself, despite fears, doubts, and even rage towards God and everything, despite chaos and confusion, Mark opens his heart to His Lord and pours out the contents. Sometimes it's a humble question, sometimes it's an angry one. Sometimes it's a prayer of praise. Sometimes it's a sob. Mark's goal for this book is to show that even through the most dangerous of storms and the darkest of days, even through our own blindness and sins and our own inability, even through sadness and pain, we must find our Savior, we must study His Word, pray, and praise, we must hold fast to our faith, we all must through it all, shine.
