[Announcement at the end…]
On this Easter weekend, as I contemplate the resurrection of Jesus, I’m reminded of just how earthly the whole story is. There’s no hiding Jesus’ down-to-earth-ness: beginning in a barn and ending in a dusty tomb. And all along the way he travels with dirty feet, embraces filthy neighbors, mixes healing ointments of soil and saliva, draws in the sand, teaches about rocks and trees and animals and agriculture… the whole thing is so bodily, concrete, human, real.
I’ve always resonated with the earthliness of Jesus. For me, if there’s not an upfront admission about bad breath and bodily functions, I sense someone is trying to sell me something.
I suppose that’s why I’m drawn to the biblical stories that go extra far to reveal just how thoroughly human the characters are. Remember that scene where a boat of naked dudes (look it up!) are fishing and Jesus says, “Yo, the fish are on the other side of the boat; try throwing the net there and then come have breakfast on the beach.” And after eating some fresh tilapia with a side order of humiliation, the scene turns into a life-altering conversation about tenderness and caring for others.
I’m just not that interested in a Jesus that’s not human. Like fully human in all the ways that it’s so dang hard to be human. About a year ago I thought: I should write a book about this. So, I did! It’s titled:
Curated Coals: And Other Resurrection Stories that Change Everything I Believe about Christianity.
And it launches Easter weekend. Go get a copy on Amazon (and a lot of other places). Also, all my other books are 50% for the month of April.
