Who is This Guy?

In all my years of Sunday School and my time at a Christian college, ok so for pretty much most of my thinking life, the thing I wondered most about Jesus was, "who is this guy?"  Regardless of your personal religious beliefs I think you have to admit that Jesus is a fascinating person who lived an incredible life, so when I read this review of The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (who also wrote The Witch of Blackbird Pond) I was pretty pumped.  Here is the review, "The scene is Jerusalem at the time of Christ, the characters vividly real, the story gripping."  Sounds awesome, right? It is.  Also in the interest of full disclosure the Boston Herald (who wrote that review) needs to be a bit more careful with their language because the story didn't actually take place in Jerusalem it took place in Capernaum and small outlying towns.  Jerusalem implies an entirely different set of events that didn't take place in this book-but enough of my rant.

Other than their geographical miscue the Herald had it write.  The characters are vividly real and the story is gripping.  It is the story of young Daniel, his hatred of the Romans and his quest for deliverance.  But what I loved most about this book was the way they described Jesus.  Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"While we were there this carpenter came back to preach in his own synagogue."
"A town like Nazareth must have boasted."
"They did not boast. They tried to kill him."  (WHAT!! I mean really whatever happened to 'hometown heroes').

"The impression of strength came from an extraordinary vitality that seemed to pulse int he very air around him." (I've often wondered what it would feel like to be in a room with Jesus-I imagined it would be like this).

"Filled with light and warmth, those eyes, welcoming him with friendship, yet searching too, disturbing, demanding."

"He remembered only the infinite kindness of the teacher's eyes.  He did not think Jesus would turn him away."

"We are forced to choose, not knowing.  I have chosen Jesus."

Choosing Jesus, finding love...that's kids stuff.