In God's Name

Anyone with a child should buy this book. Anyone without a child should also buy this book! I've used this book in a number of situations and first came across it at a retreat for those young Franciscans Friars in Religious Formation. It launched a wonderful discussion on our images of God. It is masterfully written and beautifully illustrated. The way in which Sasso presents the variety of our images of God and how they all are equally useful and beautiful illustrates how we can move beyond our differences and become a sign of unity. A great book to have in the house.

Words spoken and written in God's name often do not seem to do God justice. It is then delightful when you do come across words and images that gather together something of the essence of God. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Phoebe Stone are amazingly talented women who manage to do just this! Sasso is the author of the book `In God's Name', whose insightful words are complimented by Stone's drawings. What is God's name? Is it Healer? Source of light? Ancient of Days? Shepherd? Mother? Peacemaker? What is the `best' name for God? `In God's Name' wanders along a path searching out the right name for God; it encounters those who think they have found the perfect and only name for the one who is. The drawings are both breathtaking and charming, creating a story of movement and grace and drawing attention to the life and wonder of that which God has made. This book invites children, adults and communities to question who God is for them. It encourages discussion about the way God is perceived and named, and the importance of this to us. It does not shy away from the fact that it is hard work to listen to others, especially about something so close to the centre of ourselves. It is difficult to listen to other's ideas about God, without interjecting with our own rights or wrongs. Yet this book provides a path forwards. Valuing other's ideas and perceptions about God is a central theme to this work. Not only are the thoughts of the white haired grandfather given weight, but also the thoughts of a lonely child, of the farmer with skin like the rich brown earth, of the slave freed from bondage and of the young mother nursing her newborn. The insights these different characters provide from their own lives create opportunities for us to reflect on our experiences of God. The beauty of the final scene in the book shows something of God's grace to us. All those who felt they knew the `right' name for God find themselves gathered around a clear still lake, something like a mirror - `God's mirror'. In looking into the lake they recognise the many faces that belong to God and are unable to stop themselves from calling out in joy the countless and wonderful names that God has, and realising that they are all good names and none is better than another. You cannot help but smile as you see the coming together of a community in which the members are able to celebrate the diversity of themselves and the God in whose image they have been made. `In Gods name' provides countless opportunities for your faith community to gather closer to God as you search for the many names that God holds.

Characters in the book share their name for God and in the end they all learn that God's specific name is not so important as their being respectful of each other's choices for God's name. Children and adults should enjoy this book. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is simple, yet very meaningful. This would be a great gift to share with friends of different faiths: a good way to let someone know that you are not prejudiced agianst their religious belief system...

I used this book for a Children's Sermon at our church on Mother's day. The children couldn't get close enough when I began reading. Most of the adults in the congregation were as entranced as the children.Beautifully written and richly illustrated this is a book to share with family and friends.What an excellent way to help children learn (and remind adults) that there are countless names for God.

Children are open and honest about what they believe. This is a wonderful book allowing us -- especially adults -- to see the many ways that God is revealed in this world. Through this beautifully illustrated and well-written children's book, we are able to see the "origins" of our different names for God. This is both a book of inclusion and a book of discovery. I have used this book with children and with adults -- as children discover and adults re-discover the way God is revealed in our world. Enjoy!