Rayford Steele
| Rayford Steele | |
|---|---|
| Left Behind character | |
| First appearance | Left Behind |
| Last appearance | Kingdom Come |
| Created by | Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins |
| Portrayed by | Brad Johnson and Nicolas Cage |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Title | Leader of Tribulation Force |
| Family |
Cameron "Buck" Williams (Son in law) Kenneth Bruce Williams (Grandson) |
| Spouse(s) |
Irene Steele (first wife) Amanda White (second wife) |
| Children |
Chloe Steele (daughter) Raymie Steele (son) |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
Rayford Steele is a fictional character and the de facto protagonist in the Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. He is the leader of the group known as the Tribulation Force, and is the most fully developed character in the series.
Rayford was born 42 YBR (years before the Rapture) in Belvidere, Illinois to working-class parents. During childhood, Rayford's low socioeconomic status embarrassed him, and he dedicated his life to attending college and becoming either a professional athlete or a pilot. When he attended Belvidere High School, he was voted Homecoming King. He eventually obtained an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Purdue University; while there, he met a fellow ROTC cadet two years his junior, Irene. They fell in love and married in the spring of his senior year, and just a year later, his daughter Chloe was born. Over the next several years, Rayford leaves the Air Force and begins working as a pilot for Pan-Continental Airlines; when he is thirty, he and Irene unexpectedly have a son, Raymie.
Though raised in a churchgoing family, Rayford cannot conceive of “faith” being anything more than attending church, trying to be a good person, and helping one another, nor can he imagine what is meant by a "personal relationship" with Christ.
Three years after Raymie is born, Rayford has a brush with death when he nearly collides with another airplane while landing at LAX, and he impulsively promises God that he will go to church and pray more regularly; on the same night, Irene, after talking to a neighborhood friend, becomes a born-again Christian. They are soon at odds over her newfound faith and he reneges on his promises to God.
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