i'm thinking of the bible as a trilogy the strangest and greatest trilogy ever written this is not a literary map, inscribing insightful lines separating the words into three connected countries. volume one is the entire text of the bible volume two is the entire text of the bible so is volume three the text does not change from volume to volume if you want to find out what happens next you have to change, become someone new. i know this this sounds impossible trust me on this, it happens. all it takes to move from one volume to the next is the smallest seed of an idea which will grow, roots to stalks to branches to flower until at full fruit you are ready, the entire work is something new volume one, an epic journey full of unlikely heroes wise sayings timely miracles good triumphs over evil in the end i think i read volume one a hundred times one day i can no longer ignore this whisper, "what about the people who were in the land before it was given away as a gift, what about the children who didn't get the good promises?", that works through your soul you pick up the book again, it is no longer volume one volume two, things don't go so well all the heroes have flaws evil is everywhere unchecked a final chapter of death and doom written as if it were love and justice closing the book after the last page of volume two i threw it down in disgust swore i would never read it again one day i recognized a constant wind in my ear as a whispered question, asking me over and over, "what story of my own have i ever told rightly, or even fully understood as i told it?" volume three, something unexpected emerges crazy beloved people, finally finding impossible redemption. leaving behind them, utterances of awe and amazement hoping it would make more sense to their children than it did to them i may actually be looking forward to reading volume three