Reverend Dr. John Smith

The Story of God, the Story of Us

“It is fascinating how the wheels of history and culture turn. The ancient cultures of human civilization transmitted wisdom and the tools for survival via story and myth. Now, even in the highly intellectualized corridors of the academy, the story has again become the dynamic instrument of communication. Anecdotal evidence, once frowned upon by modern research methodology, is now sometimes viewed as more enlightening than the static recording of standardized surveys. Thus Sean Gladding has grasped the postmodern method to illuminate us with the drama of redemption by skillful storytelling through the heart of a storyteller, in the heartache of exile. "Jean Vanier, scholar and lover of the poor, thrilled my heart and mind by a storytelling account of the Gospels' content. This work of Sean's is perhaps even more intriguing in its journey through the redemptive Story pre-Garden to post-apocalypse. The inclusion of a psalm-singing musician in search of the meaning of the divine drama and human suffering is a delightfully contemporary touch for generations whose inspiration and envisioning may come as much through a U2 song as a Sunday sermon. While the language is conversational, and at times as spellbinding as the Australian campfire yarn, it does not lose the complexity on the other side of its simplicity. "The conflict between original grace and original sin, the stress of balancing mercy and judgment, the mystery of the us-ness of the one trinitarian creator-God, the consistency of God's seeking love through the diversity of cultural evolution, the intimate needs of the individual in the context of social being—all these and many other areas of mystery, controversy and general ignorance are explored with courage and winsome imagery. This is as engaging as storytelling to my grandchildren, but as challenging and invigorating as a discussion after a graduate class in theology. As the writer has declared, I do not know of any other approach quite as innovative and useful for community dialogue over the biblical story. When the heart is warmed, convictions are aroused and the mind is challenged—all in one item of literature—you know this is a good thing. One hasty read for this analysis will not be enough for me. It will be revisited. I challenge you to join me in a journey in which faith and reason are made delectable through story. It is a book to be read and read, alone and with others who thirst for the truth in love.”