MY THOUGHTS:
My daughter gave me this book last Christmas, and my first reaction when I saw the cover was, 'Haha, I had no idea Bear Grylls was so old.' But joking aside, I decided to save it for a couple of months to read during the season of Lent, which is what I've just done. And truly, Grylls has done a fabulous job. Adapted versions of the gospel events in story form are a dime a dozen, but this is one of the most appealing and immersive I've come across so far.
Grylls chooses five 'eye-witnesses' whose headspaces and cultural biases he appropriates while the action plays out. I'll mention just a few examples of their collective amazement, for the story is full of them.
First is Mother Mary (Myriam) who is rattled when the Magi present her infant son with myrrh along with gold and frankincense, for it clearly signifies death. Enough death omens occur throughout the years of her son's life to wrench her maternal heart, right up to the pivotal day when she considers herself an old woman at the age of 46. Her being present on that day is unimaginable, yet how could she stay away?
When practical Thomas (Ta'om) wonders why his unpredictable leader would take them straight through the dodgy land of Samaria for a shortcut, it's easy to echo, 'Yeah, what the heck is he thinking?' We also 'get' Peter's (Kephas') instinctive antipathy to the ratty, beady-eyed Zaccheus. ('It's one thing to hang out with the poor and sick, but to be associated with the corrupt and traitorous? That was something else.)
We share John's (Johanan's) confusion regarding the Passover elements at that Last Supper. And we glimpse a flashback of Mary Magdalene's (the other Myriam's) fearful and grievous life before Yeshua entered her world. She was said to be demon possessed, but this story makes her sound more like a sufferer of panic attacks and what we may now consider mental issues, which is interesting.
The unconscionable behavior of the religious leaders and Pharisees is right in our faces, their hypocritical insistence on wanting to avoid street riots by manipulating events to make Yeshua's execution appear like a Roman decision. The devious arm-twisting it takes reflects particularly badly on them, when Pilate keeps repeating, 'No, I don't want to do it.'
The Crucifixion itself is written in such a way that makes clear how costly and powerful the sacrifice on our behalf truly was, not a throw-away gesture. Overall, this book is a brilliant attempt to make the ancient and alien political climate of Roman Palestine accessible for 21st century western readers. The inclusion of what would have been contemporary Hebrew and Aramaic person and place names is a nice touch, making the unfolding action feel fresh and immediate.
Most importantly, what a legend our hero is! He calls everyday people his closest friends, attacks conventional sacred cows and tall poppies, hangs out with the unclean, and makes healing and restoration his main priority. And he doggedly keeps his revolutionary and subversive stance, knowing full well that the world's religious leaders see him as somebody who keeps forgiving the unforgiveable and breaking the law instead of fulfilling it. And, of course, knowing what it will cost him.
The back cover flap tells us that Bear Grylls has written over 100 books (I never knew he was that prolific) but says that if he were only to have written one, this would be it. And his devotion shines through every page. It's a must-read not just once but over again.
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