My favorite book as a boy

I was not much of a reader as a boy. Not before school or during. My reading began much later in life and I love to read now, even though I am not a great story reader.

Surely everyone had their favorite story. Lately 'Where the Wild Things Are' has hit the box office. (I cannot remember the book as a child). There are stories which I have read to my children which I now love but never had any time for as a boy.

My favorite book was 'Tinker and Tanker. Knights of The Round Table'.

This is my book. It was given to me as a Christmas present from my Auntie Pat and Uncle Gordon in 1968. My uncle died in September 2007 and so it is very precious to me.

My tribute to Uncle Gordon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3xpjpvVBFw

I have read it to my boys over the years and they love it too. There were others, but at the top of the pile and the story which captured my heart and had me almost entering the scenes in the pages was this one.

All this beg some questions, 'Why? Why that story? Was it the illustrations? What was it about that story that engaged my heart and became a place I wanted to repeatedly return to?
In my favorite story there are two nobodies working in a petrol station in Tinkertown. Tinker is a mouse and Tanker is a Hippo. Two more incompatible and unsuitable heroes could not be invented. And yet, a herald arrives one day to invite them to a wedding. A wedding of the princess and at that wedding Sir Wicket Dragon (a crocodile in a deep green suit of armour) captures the princess and takes her away to his castle. There is a pursuit and whilst Tinker fights gallantly with Sir Wicket Dragon on the battlements and overcomes him, Tanker rescue the princess via the most precarious ladder you have eve seen. Of course, they are both hailed as heroes and quietly return the their beloved petrol station as before.

There is no secret that every boy wants to be a hero, every boy wants to defeat a powerful enemy and rescue the princess. All the ingredients are there. Every epic story has a Villain, an Adventure, a Battle to fight and a Beauty to rescue. Is it possible that these stories are echoes of the original story, our story, God's story? Look at the gospel. There is the evil one, Adam and Eve are invited into an adventure, there is a tragedy and they fall and just when it seems all hope is lost a hero comes and Christ fights the battle against the devil, sin and death. The church is the beauty he rescues and invites us to join the battle.

So, what was your favorite story as a child? Could it be telling you anything about who you truly are and is it even possible that all this time you have missed the real epic unfolding before you? When was the last time you read any part of the bible? The true epic!

Instead, we have settled for vicarious adventures and fictional stories with fake heroes. I invite you to read John's gospel this new year. Maybe Christ himself will invite you up into an adventure you never knew existed.

Just a thought!