I Radio Heaven

I was turned on to Anne Rice’s Christ The Lord series in part by my good friend John, who wrote about her debut work in the series a couple years ago.  Her follow-up is equally good, if not better, because (as John says) she is now starting to weave the Biblical narrative into her intensive research into the first-century Middle East.

I finished it today (while sitting by the pool - ha!) and loved a dialog that took place near the end of the book, right after Jesus has performed his miracle of turning water into wine.  It’s a thoughtful insight into the debate of loving versus fighting with your enemies, and some may not like where Jesus falls on that spectrum.

“James, don’t you understand what I want?  Look into the faces of those around you who saw the wine come from the jar.  I want an innovation that will ignite the world.  That wine is no less than the blood inside my veins.  I come to bring the Face of the Lord — to the whole wide world.”

They fell silent.

“The Face of the Lord,” I repeated it.  I looked intently at James, and at Cleopas.  I looked one by one at each of them.  “The Face of the Lord I mean to bring to all.”

Silence.  They stood still loosely gatherd and staring at me, rapt yet not daring to speak.

“Don’t you know all battles fought with swords are ultimately lost battles?” I asked.  “Don’t you see yourselves that Scripture and history are filled with battles?  What comes of battles?  Don’t speak to me of Alexander or Pompehy or Augustus, of Germanicus or any Casaer.  Don’t speak to me of ensigns whether they are raised on high in Jerusalem of lost in the Teutoburg Forest of the far north.  Don’t speak to me of King David or of his son Solomon.  Look at me as I stand here!  I want a victory that far surpasses anything that’s been written, either in ink or in blood.”

(For good measure, here’s a great editorial by Anne Rice that ran on the Washington Post site.  Thanks to Zach, via John.)