Metta Valley Gospel Book 1

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Helton's engaging adaptation of Jesus's story 'The Metta Valley Gospel' opens the imagination to the depths of our shared histories emphasizing the interconnected and universal nature of wisdom and compassion.</em></strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>-Sharon Salzberg author of<em> Lovingkindness and Real Life</em></strong></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Zachary has given us a story that dares to imagine Jesus-not as a distant dogmatic figure-but as a wounded and curious human. Metta Valley Gospel goes beyond narratives of control and fear instead offering a compassionate vision wide enough to hold all our doubts and longings. For anyone healing from fundamentalism this book feels like freedom.</em></strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>-Cindy Wang Brandt author of <em>Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice Mercy and Kindness</em></strong></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Not since Christopher Moore's Lamb has there been a fictionalized retelling of the Jesus story that had this much imagination style and punch. Metta Valley Gospel asks profound questions (What if Jesus' genius was the result of spiritual abuse?) while at the same time telling a rip-roaring story about a young Jesus trying to find himself...and his calling. Metta Valley Gospel is the most fun you can have with Jesus outside the monastery. Don't miss it.</em></strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>-Rev. Dr. John R. Mabry author of the award-winning novel <em>The Worship of Mystery </em>and<em>Growing Into God: A Beginner's Guide to Christian Mysticism.</em></strong></p><p></p><h2><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>A story for those grieving the faith that once defined them.</strong></h2><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Raised in a world of rules and shame Jesus has always been the one to question what others accept. But when his defiance leads to exile he must leave behind everything familiar and journey across cultures wisdom traditions and inner landscapes. Disillusioned and guarded he finds himself determined to find a deeper truth-even if it means unlearning everything he was once taught to believe.</span></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>For fans of Sue Monk Kidd <em>(The Book of Longings)</em> Paulo Coelho <em>(The Alchemist)</em> and Hermann Hesse <em>(Siddhartha)</em></strong><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>this novel speaks to those who are deconstructing religion exploring </span><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>spiritual-but-not-religious fiction</strong><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> or searching for a new way to tell a familiar story.</span></p>