Dear Reader,

For Christmas, I'm sending this on a journey far away to a country where English is spoken but where it is not the mother tongue. This book is part of the King James Translation of the Bible, which is seminal to the English language. English is the language of my ancestors and in this translation I first came to know the stories of the Bible. The King James Version will always be the most beautiful translation to me and the angel of English. I've already released several of these. Luke's Gospel is by far the most beautiful Christmas account and that's why I'm sending it now. If you grew up in American culture, you may remember that dear Linus of Peanuts, the fictional character, quotes from it in A Charlie Brown Christmas movie. Say I'm nuts, but that cartoon reading of Luke is one of the most powerful ever. It never fails to enrapture me and carry me into the mystery of Christmas.

Bestselling author Thomas Cahill maintains in this introduction that Luke is especially compelling in its characterization of the historical figures of the Bible. How does one respond to God's call?, the Gospel seems to ask. "Be it unto me according to thy Word," Mary's famous prayer, and several others, including, in the opening chapters, the "Hail Mary," first prayed by Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist, set the tone for the mystery of personal destiny and the work of God. Cahill quotes Cardinal Newman's prayer in his introduction:

God has created me to do him some definite service: he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission--I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told in the next. Somehow I am necessary for his purposes...I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for nought.

This message of God's will and destiny has been an important one for me. Perhaps I picked it up from St. Luke. I was lucky enough to have a decent introduction to the Bible as a student. I'm sad that more children are not introduced to this important literature. You can't beat the stories or the poetry. That's why I'm glad Grove Press has presented portions of the King James Bible as literature. Whatever one thinks of Christianity, this is an important part of our cultural history. You can't understand English literature without it.

I'm happy to add yet another of these to the bookcrossing stream as a surprise gift for bookcrossers in the lovely country of Finland. May these new friends enjoy having this.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

To Finland with a wish for Peace on Earth!

Thank you very much, the books arrived safely in Finland today!
We collect bibles and different translations of it, and love to read texts by Nouwen ;)

thanks a lot!