Christopher Moore’s satirical novel Lamb is a witty story. The narrator Biff is the childhood friend of Jesus, he is raised from the dead by a bad-boy angel to write a “what really happened” version of the Gospel. Biff’s actual name is Levi, and similarly Jesus is called by the supposed more authentic name “Joshua”. While Joshua is the epitome of boyhood innocence, Biff is always encouraging Joshua to call down the wrath of God for every trivial reason. The resulting “Gospel According to Biff” is an entertaining balance between irreverent satire and modern mysticism.
Jesus was funny
Christopher Moore approaches every subject as a common man looking to find the humor in all situations (even when they’re horrific). While Joshua doesn’t engage in derogatory humor, his best pal Biff doesn’t hesitate. Through Biff’s eyes we get to see the boy Joshua grow into a man. Joshua is aware that he is the Messiah, but hasn’t a clue how to be one. Much of the plot is devoted to the ‘missing years’ of Jesus’s life; a tale which spans from the mysterious fringe of the Universe to the very bounds of vulgar hilarity.
Why All the Parables?
As Joshua has no idea how to be the Messiah, he and Biff seek out the three wise men that came to witness his birth. Each teaches them a part of the ancient mysteries of the mind, body, and spirit. Joshua eventually learns the truth of the “divine spark” alive in each of us, and concludes that his role of Messiah was to bring the truth about the “divine spark” to the people of the world. This eastern philosophy is translated into parable because it would not otherwise be accessible to the contemporary people of the day; thus Joshua explains concept as “The Holy Spirit”. This presentation of Truth through fiction is a theme throughout the the second half of the book.
Alternate Meanings to Traditional Ideas
A series of alternate contexts for basic Christian ideas and beliefs underlies this story. A powerful example is Moore’s presentation of the bread and wine symbols. Like many of the book’s episodes, Moore hints that the four Gospel writers simply misinterpreted what they heard, and thus missed the underlying message. In ‘The Last Supper’ scene Joshua is attempting to explain that God (i.e. The Holy Spirit) is actually something that is part of everyone. When asked how God got there: he explains that God becomes a part of you the same way that bread becomes a part of you when you eat it. Quite a mystical, if not Gnostic idea. As the book is a comedy, Moore doesn’t push Gnosticism to deep into the story; rather he successfully uses the ideas to keep the book from seeming in anyway dogmatic or preachy.
Lamb is worth a read, but I really recommend that you listen to the audio book. The narrator, Fisher Stevens, is more actor than narrator and adds considerably to the experience of this book. If your faith is easily offended, you might consider something else, if not check out Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff.