Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge (review)

Walker's brother, Noah, was an angry addict; now Noah has been dead for two months, and Walker's mother still cries. When fourteen-year-old Walker prays, he is surprised and disconcerted when Jesus himself shows up in answer. He and Jesus begin a casual friendship, talking about big and small things, and broaching some of life's abiding questions, such as who Jesus is, how He can be everywhere, and what happens when people die. Jesus is sometimes enigmatic, answering questions with questions and deferring more philosophical inquiries, but mostly he treats Walker as a friend and the world as a wonder, reveling in candy bars and ice cream, making small jokes, and drawing out Walker's conflicted feelings about his difficult older brother. As much as Walker insists that Jesus needs to be helping his mother, Jesus gently focuses on Walker himself, reminding him that he, too, has a need to grieve, forgive, and move on. Koertge's free verse draws this sweetly poignant and delicate story forward at just the right pace, highlighting the simple sensual pleasures of sunsets, junk food, and the feel of a dog, and punctuating those moments with warm, affectionate humor that hits its mark. Rather than taking an irreverent approach to the character of Jesus, Koertge's depiction actually serves to elevate the character of Walker; in the loving presence of Jesus, Walker is allowed to be angry, distrustful, and hesitant as he grows in self-awareness and grace and ultimately learns to see the goodness of the world through Jesus' eyes. Pair this with Cynthia Rylant's God Went to Beauty School (BCCB 7/03) for perspectives that refresh a sense of the numinous in everyday life.