For a person that came from an early care and education background before entering ministry, looking for Jesus in children's literature was hardly considered, mostly because it just wasn't there. The few "Christian" children's books were non useful in the early childhood classroom. I found I left them behind. (pun intended) Most books, Sunday school and VBS curricula written for children is either dull and cheesy reducing the relationship between humanity and Christ to something akin to the "Jesus is my best friend" genre. When a publication is given depth it is most often dry, colorless and ends up being boiled down to a flat, one-dimensional snap shot of the historical God. While I have dreamed of writing to reconcile these flaws, I spend more time complaining than writing.
Thank goodness for people like Matthew Paul Turner. I found MPT a few years ago when I stumbled upon his blog, Jesus Needs New PR. Many of the subjects he wrote about resonated with me. I found his writing assuring me that I could not like a lot of what people called Christians do and still like and follow Christ. The blog inspired me to be the Christian I thought the world needed. Through his blog I was led to the first book I read, Churched leading me to read many of his others.
I don't know if wanting to write for his children inspired him to write his latest book, God Made Light or if he just had a deep seated desire to correct the wrongs in Christian Children's Literature, but either way he wrote a book that did.
God Made Light is pleasing to the eyes. God Made Light is colorful and bright and beautiful. I find my self smiling just at the pictures. The rhyming cadence is familiar to children and those that have read to them. His wife Jessica in her blog, The Mom Creative, writes about wanting to read books about God to their children that were engaging like Dr. Suess' and other quality children's authors writings. And Matthew brought that to the table. As a former early childhood professional, the book meets all the requirements for a child to love hearing.
But here is the best part of God Made Light. It has extra Jesus! Turner has managed to not weaken the message of God's creative influence on His creation. In kid friendly terms, they learn about how God lives in them through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that lives and dwells within them. They experience how God eradicates evil. I could exegete for days in this children's book.
Yesterday I read this book to the children of our church family for Children's Sermon. As I read the book, large pictures streaming to the big screen overhead for the "big people" the moment became more than I had imagined. I found that I was reading this book over them. Blessing them with light and love through the words on these page. When I read the words, "...cause on the day you were born, God said, 'Let there be light!'" I became emotional. These precious children, some of which I had been given the privilege to baptize, were brought into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and in this moment I saw the light in them. God is good!
My grown daughter, the scientist, loves that the book doesn't dumb down the science of God mentioning subject like constellations and the function of the sun to the moon and marries God in science instead of separating them.
I am a book person, I collect them as many adults do fine wines or expensive clothing. I also cherish them as a child would their collection of stuffed animals in their bedroom. I am the grandma that buys the books every chance I get and look for and excuse to read them to her. I was also that mom. We still have the favorites and will pass down the "keepers"; the ones the kids know by heart due to repeated reading. God Made Light has already joined the ranks of "The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear," and "Good Night Moon" in our home. Thank you Matthew Paul turner for some extra Jesus.
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