An ancient Native American myth tells of the old shaman who sat with tribal leaders before a smoking fire, sharing the pipe and imparting wisdom of the ages. Every night these leaders gathered in the same way, and each night the shaman began his tale with the following statement: “I do not know whether this really happened or not, but I know that it is True.”

And so it is with the stories in the Bible, in terms of its impact on humankind, the most important book ever written. The stories may or may not be historical, but certainly they are True.

Did Eve really talk with a serpent and convince Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

Did Cain kill Abel?

Did Noah and his sons build an ark?

Is Abraham the father of a chosen people?

Was Joseph sold into slavery by his envious brothers?

Did Aaron lose faith in the Lord and cause a golden calf to be constructed and worshipped?

As fascinating and challenging as these questions are, most human beings are content to go through life without ever investigating them seriously. Instead, we accept or reject them on the basis of what tradition tells us about them. Until 1450 and the introduction of movable type, only a few copies of the Bible existed. And, anyway, who could read? In modern times, with a bible on every home bookshelf, we don’t read the stories because it takes a lot more effort than watching sitcoms or talk shows or movies; we don’t read about Moses because it’s difficult to relate to a human being whose problems seem so different and remote from our own.

1-800-TheLord brings to life the people of Genesis and Exodus. Often humorous and satirical but always serious, the book tells the stories in a way that forces you to think even while you’re having a good time. It is a book that will send you to the Bible to read “the word of God” for yourself.

Bishop John Shelby Spong, in Chapter One of his book Resurrection: Myth or Reality, emphasizes the element of midrash in the Bible. “Midrash,” Bishop Spong writes, “is the Jewish way of saying that everything to be venerated in the present must somehow be connected with a sacred moment in the past. It is the ability to rework an ancient theme in a new context. It is the affirmation of a timeless truth found in the faith journey of a people so that this truth can be experienced afresh in every generation.”

And so, 1-800-The Lord follows this midrashic tradition. It retells the ancient stories in an attempt to help modern readers experience them in a new way. It emphasizes the Truth of the stories even as it de-emphasizes their historicity.

 

Accompanying the color plates are quotations from sources as varied as The Bible and Oscar Wilde. Edwina has also dipped into her own family's legacy and included some of the wit and wisdom of her celebrated grandfather, Sir Winston Churchill. The juxta-position of these words and images leave the reader with much food for thought, and a bounteous array of subjects to dine out on.

Appeals to Art Lovers, Bible Lovers, and Lovers everywhere. Excellent gift for all occasions.