The Sixth One

I recently finished another book entitled The Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, or as my friends and I call it: My Best Friend Biff.

I was excited about this book for numerous reasons including, but not limited to, the following:

1. I think the idea of Jesus having a friend named "Levi, who is called Biff" is amusing.

2. There is kung fu. Kung fu + Jesus = good times all around.

3. It was compared to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and I love Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It makes me laugh out loud.

The premise of the story is this: Biff is brought back from the dead to fill in the missing years of Jesus' life that the rest of the Gospels skip, from age 12 to 30. During these years Biff and Jesus travel the [known] world and encounter the Three Wise Men who turn out to be the founders/masters of three other world religions. Under one Wise Man, Jesus and Biff learn about Confucius and magic, under another they learn about Buddha and kung fu, under another they learn about Hinduism and yoga. Then they return home to Israel; Jesus is now ready to be the Messiah.

It took me five months to read this book cover to cover. It wasn't a difficult book to read, actually it was easy and entertaining. It took me so long because A) I work. I kind of had a lot to do and my free time was not exactly in abundance. B) As amusing as it was there were times I had to put it down for fear I was reading blasphemy. C) There was really a lot of sex in it. It was difficult for me to read about Jesus and sex, or rather, Jesus talking to Biff about what it's like to have sex. Biff liking sex + Jesus not being allowed sex = awkward, awkward reading.

So my reading of the book was stop- and - go. Over all, I liked it. Every time I thought the author was about to go too far, he wrote something that was either hilarious or really very deep and thought-provoking.

The book itself is an interesting concept. What would Jesus have learned if He'd been taught by masters/founders of other world religions? (Nothing, considering HE WAS/IS GOD!! But I digress). Being fully man AND fully God, how would He have coped with not having sex? Did He want to have sex? Granted, Mr. Moore has a questionable grasp on theology and it's noticeable, but the book makes me think. I love books that make me think, that ask interesting questions. This book made me think, asked interesting questions AND amused me, making it top-notch in my opinion.

Like this book? Go ahead and try Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and its sequels.