The Gospel of Simon

By John Smelcer

2,000 years ago an itinerant Jewish preacher was condemned to crucifixion. A man named Simon, from Cyrene, was compelled to help Jesus carry the heavy cross. What did he and Jesus talk about? Eager to learn more about this rabbi,” Simon returned to Jerusalem the next day. What he learned changed his life, and gave his descendants an incredible secret.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leapfrog Press
• Release date: Aug 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781935248859

John Smelcer

JOHN SMELCER is the author of many nonfiction and poetry books for adults, as well as a young adult novel, The Trap. Mr. Smelcer has been a visiting professor at various universities around the world and is the associate publisher and poetry editor of the literary magazine Rosebud.

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Praise for The Gospel of Simon

This book reminds us that we are called to be bearers of love, for there can be no faith without love.

—Cardinal Edward Egan, Archbishop of New York

Smelcer gives us a Jesus who condemns those who abuse the name of God to gain wealth or power, as well as anyone who fosters injustice and inequality, oppresses or enslaves others, and incites hatred, intolerance, bigotry, and violence.

—Coretta Scott King

A book that reminds us again and again of Jesus’s gospel of love.

—Saul Bellow, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

John Smelcer frees his imagination to create a moving narrative around one character who is almost a footnote in the Biblical story: Simon, who was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross to the hill called Calvary. In the process he reveals new dimensions in the Christian story.

—John Shelby Spong, author of Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy

A masterpiece capable of changing the world.

—W. P. Kinsella, author of Field of Dreams

An ambitious reimagining of the most familiar story in history.

—Chayym Zeldis, Tel Aviv University

Until now we only thought we knew this story.

—Daniel Berrigan, Jesuit priest, social activist and author of No Gods But One and The Kings and Their Gods

A book that reminds us of Jesus’s unequivocal command to love one another. A gift for anyone interested in deepening their soulful life.

—Fr. Paul Keenan, Catholic radio host

Enlightened, compelling, and blessed by grace. The timeless message will resonate with modern readers.

—Marcus Borg, author of The Heart of Christianity

In a world where the media relentlessly inflames fear and hatred, here is a quiet voice espousing the triumph of love and peace.

—Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

As this book shows, there are many similarities between Buddhism and Christianity, such as the practices of compassion, love, contemplation, and tolerance.

—The Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and author of The Good Heart

May this book bring a lot of benefit to people who read it.

—Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Love in Action

My friend, Thomas Merton, would have loved this elegantly simple, poetic, yet profound book that kindles the heart with what St. John of the Cross called the flame of love and brings Jesus’s words to life for modern readers.

—(formerly Sister) Helen Marie Grimes

This may be exactly the way it happened.

—Tom O’Horgan, director of Jesus Christ Superstar

Smelcer gives us a Jesus who condemns social injustice, prejudice, oppression, violence, and racism.

—Julian Bond, former chairman of the N.A.A.C.P.

I’ve always wondered about Simon of Cyrene. It’s nice to have this writer’s imagination of his story.

—Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, Episcopal priest and author

"The Gospel of Simon presents the Jewish rabbi Jesus of Nazareth as the prophetic figure he undoubtedly was, at once embodying the wisdom of Judaism and emphasizing its message of loving kindness and compassion. If only its universal message of peace and nonviolence could prevail in every culture and reshape every political and economic system toward a world of generosity, caring for each other, and joyous celebration of our endangered planet."

—Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun magazine and author of The Left Hand of God

Like the original gospel writers, Smelcer uses the tale of Jesus to inspire. His challenge was to find a way into a story whose familiarity has made Christianity stale, judgmental and dogmatic. He does so with brilliance and imagination, breathing new life into a faith that has forgotten simply to love.

—Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ

The Gospel of Simon

Books by John Smelcer

Fiction

Stealing Indians

Savage Mountain

Edge of Nowhere

Lone Wolves

The Trap

The Great Death

Alaskan: Stories from the Great Land

Native Studies

The Raven and the Totem

A Cycle of Myths

Trickster

The Day That Cries Forever

Durable Breath

Native American Classics

We Are the Land, We Are the Sea

Poetry

Indian Giver

The Indian Prophet

Songs from an Outcast

Riversong

Without Reservation

Beautiful Words

Tracks

Raven Speaks

Changing Seasons

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The

Gospel

of Simon

John Smelcer

A Novel

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Leapfrog Press

Fredonia, New York

The Gospel of Simon © 2016 by John Smelcer

All rights reserved under International and

Pan-American Copyright Conventions

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a data base or other retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Published in 2016 in the United States by

Leapfrog Press LLC

PO Box 505

Fredonia, NY 14063

www.leapfrogpress.com

Printed in the United States of America

Distributed in the United States by

Consortium Book Sales and Distribution

St. Paul, Minnesota 55114

www.cbsd.com

Photograph © 2016 by Jim Caffrey

First Edition

eBook ISBN: 978-1-935248-85-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Smelcer, John E., 1963- author.

Title: The gospel of Simon / John Smelcer.

Description: Fredonia, New York : Leapfrog Press, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016017804 | ISBN 9781935248842 (softcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Simon, of Cyrene--Fiction. | Bible. New Testament--History of

Biblical events--Fiction. | Jesus Christ--Crucifixion--Fiction. | BISAC:

FICTION / Christian / Historical. | FICTION / Jewish. | FICTION /

Religious. | FICTION / Literary. | GSAFD: Christian fiction. | Bible

fiction.

Classification: LCC PS3569.M387 G67 2016 | DDC 813/.54--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016017804

Acknowledgements

This book is an inspired work of fiction, a creation of art, a fabrication from the imagination and intuition of one imperfect man. However, the storyline and historicity has been judiciously researched and contemplated by the author in collaboration with theologians in the hopes of creating something that is earnest, meaningful, affecting, and thought-provoking, something that deepens faith and belief and is not merely novelty. If it is anything, this is a book about love. Indeed, the word love or loving appears over one hundred times in this book.

While many people helped me along the way, I’d especially like to acknowledge the Revs. Stephen and Elaine McDuff, James O’Donnell, Derek Daschke, Amber Johnson, John Jones, Helen Bar-Lev, Mary Shapiro, Charlotte LaGalle, Aaron Fine, José Carreno-Medina, Chayym Zeldis, Norman Mailer, Saul Bellow, Tom O’Horgan, Julian Bond, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, Marcus Borg, Fr. Paul Keenan, Tom Wright, Daniel Berrigan, Cardinal Edward Egan of New York, Rev. Billy Graham, Coretta Scott King, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rabbi Rosenberg of Brooklyn, Fr. Leo Walsh, the late Fr. William Bill Kottenstette, Rev. Dale Stone, Sister Judian Breitenbach, Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, Ronnaug and Danny Bull, Rod Clark, Helen Marie Grimes, Lisa Graziano, John C. Dorhauer, Joshua DeLeeuw, James Carroll, Bill Kinsella, Bishop John Shelby Spong, Rabbi Michael Lerner, and my Harvard professors: Ali Asani, Christopher Queen, and Helmut Koester. This is not to imply that they endorse the contents, opinions, or statements expressed herein.

This book is dedicated to Pope Francis for his gospel of love, peace, mercy, charity, inclusion, and environmental stewardship, to Martin Luther King Jr. for his peaceful struggle against racism and social injustice, and to his friend Thomas Merton, who taught us to discard superficial gestures of religious zeal in favor of self-sacrificing love, because our real journey in life is interior, of learning to surrender to the creative action of love and grace—for there can be no love of God that is divorced from charity, compassion, or mercy. In his address to Congress on September 24, 2015, Pope Francis praised Martin Luther King Jr. and Thomas Merton as two of the greatest Americans, alongside Dorothy Day and Abraham Lincoln.

Prologue

Inasmuch as any writing is said to be inspired, the idea for this book began one wintry night in Alaska in 1996. I was standing outside my little cabin at thirty degrees below zero, gazing awestruck at the northern lights dancing across a sky full of stars, the flickering yellow light from an oil lamp on a table beside the window casting a square on the snow. It was at that moment the vision came to me. But I wasn’t yet a novelist. I didn’t know how to tell such a story. I might even have been fearful of the vision.

Who was I to write such a book?

So, I carried the insistent story

Reviews for The Gospel of Simon

[bookaddict3000 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, just wow. The story was short, but so impactful. I absolutely enjoyed reading it and I recommend it to everyone! It'll definitely open your eyes and make you look at things from a different perspective. Honestly, I wish the book was longer.