The holiday season always makes me think of religion. Despite the fact that I was not raised to be a part of any particular religion, it has always fascinated me. To inform myself on religion, I primarily read books. Two of my favorite books contemplating religion are: Life of Pi by Yann Martel and Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.
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First off, Life of Pi is great because it has a tiger. Life of Pi is a story of magical realism told through the eyes of a young man exploring his spirituality. From an early age Pi, short for Piscine, has been interested in religion. He was raised Hindu and decided to become Muslim and Christian as well when he encounters each religion respectively. His family thinks that he is strange but that does not stop him from attending services regularly. His family owns a zoo and one day they decide to sell the zoo and move to Canada. The last responsibility the family has is to bring the animals to their new homes by ship. Unfortunately, a massive storm capsizes the ship.
Pi, a tiger, a zebra, a hyena, and an orangutan are the only survivors, stranded in a life boat. Pi’s spirituality, innovation, and courage are tested in the journey he makes. The hyena eats the zebra and orangutan and the tiger eats the hyena. Once the tiger runs out of food, Pi must work to keep the tiger fed. Why does he bother keeping the tiger alive you ask? The tiger, Richard Parker, is the only company Pi has and a goal keeps him sane as the lifeboat drifts across the ocean. I won’t spoil all of the details, but eventually the lifeboat reaches land. Pi goes to a hospital and Richard Parker escapes into the jungle. The moment that Richard Parker leaves Pi is truly heart wrenching because the two became very close on their journey. This book made me think about human desire for deeper meaning and companionship and the power of the world around us to shape our lives.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ’s Childhood Pal is a very hilarious look at what the first 30 years of Christ’s life may have been like. The story begins with Biff being resurrected in the 20th century to write his story of Christ, or Joshua as he called his friend in Hebrew.
Biff’s account shows Joshua’s childhood full of little miracles, how he found the Three Wise Men, and up to his death. All along these journeys, Biff acts as a counterpoint to Joshua: sarcastic, earthy, but also practical and loyal. I like how this story gives example of how different people react to spirituality or religion. Joshua is humble and determined to complete his destiny, while Biff is loyal to his friend but doesn’t follow his friend’s actions. Sometimes Biff even claims he is outrageously sexual because he is making up for Joshua’s celibacy! What I enjoyed the most though, is that Biff is respectful of the beliefs he encounters. I think it is so important to remember that just because someone has a different belief system, you do not have to harm or alienate them. Another aspect I enjoyed was that the three wise men were a magician, a Buddhist, and a Hindu yogi.
This said to me that we can learn from all beliefs and practices. And that we should learn all about the beliefs in order to decide for ourselves what to believe in. This book is a fun, ambitious, unique read humanizing an important figure in religious history.
Whether you are of a specific religion or just looking for a good book to snuggle up with, either of these are a great choice! Happy reading and happy holidays!