Children of God Storybook Bible Archbishop Desmond Tutu
There are so many things to love about this book. The amazing artwork by 20 talented artists from around the world brings the diversity of God’s creation to life in these pages. The words selected to tell the sacred stories are beautiful and perfect for children, youth, and adults. My only complaint is the lack of inclusive language for God. With all the other diversity and inclusivity, why not be creative in describing and naming God too? This can be remedied by using different pronouns or your preferred name for God while reading it aloud. If children are reading it silently, a conversation or two about names of and for God can be helpful.
I highly recommend everyone read this book. Most people can read it in a very short amount of time. Or you may decide to savor it and read only one story per day. Either way, you need to read this book.
I love the words used for the Beatitudes on page 76.
“Blessed are you who feed the poor, for you are the hands of God.
Blessed are you who comfort the sad, for you are the arms of God.
Blessed are you who work for peace, for you are the voice of God.
Blessed are you who are loving and kind, for you are the heart of God” (76).
Tutu —- Still from a generation and a part of the faith that changes not easily the name of God.
I know that it isn’t easy to change the names we use for God. I think that opening ourselves to the many possibilities of names and descriptors for God helps us to see how big our God is. It is a challenge worth undertaking.