Into the Mess by Debie Thomas is a well-written exploration of familiar Bible passages. Sometimes when I’m reading a book, I find myself automatically re-writing sentences as I go, adjusting for clarity or word order. The writing in this book is so lively, humorous, and engaging that I instantly shut off my internal editor and relaxed into the lovely prose. Many times, I thought, “Wow! I wish I’d written that sentence!”

This book is provocative, in a good way,. Thomas’s perceptions may shake up readers who have avoided thinking analytically about the Bible stories taught in Sunday school. And, for those readers whose faith journey is filled with questions and skepticism, Thomas’s take on thorny issues may provide comfort. For example, here are her thoughts on the beheading of John the Baptist: “Christians are often trained to slap redemptive meaning on tragedies… What if, instead, the ‘point’ of John’s story is to prepare us for the way of Jesus, which is a costly way? A narrow way? A risky way?” She goes on to write, “Maybe the point is that we don’t have to slap meaning on every human experience in order to prove that we are pious and God is good. Maybe some things are just plain horrible. Period.”

Debie Thomas treats scripture with respect and at the same time confidently offers readers refreshing, new perspective. I highly recommend this book.