The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began by Kathie Lee Gifford
THE ROCK THE ROAD AND THE RABBI is a unique book. At first, I wondered if it would be all that interesting, but it is! Whilst reading this book, I kept on thinking, “Hey, I want to go on that tour!”
The reason that Kathie Lee Gifford wrote this book, is that it goes to the heart of what she values most. This land is the land of the Gospel:
“I believe with all my soul that the answer to every question any person will ever ask is hidden in that land and in the Word of God.”
The author takes the reader to many famous Biblical places. Then, with the help of two Bible experts, Rabbi Jason Sobel and Ray Vander Laan, she explains what happened here in Biblical times. The two theologians do a good job of setting the stage, and explaining the meaning of the Biblical passage.
In my favorite chapter, we visit the Valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath. Here, the author and her late husband each pick up a stone. The question for them is,
“What is your stone? What is your gift? What is the one thing that you can do that no one else can do but you?”
And that’s how the book works. We visit the scenes of the Bible, we get an expert explanation of the passage, and also a practical lesson.
In visiting the places where Jesus lived, the guides discuss how people lived at that time I was flabbergasted to hear that a more accurate translation of Jesus’ occupation was “stone mason,” not carpenter! This fits the Bible narrative well, since “Jesus is the promised master craftsman and architect of creation who brings order out of chaos and shalom to our lives.”
The author sums up her book with this challenging word of encouragement:
“I encourage you to find your stone and throw it at the chaos of this world. Serve the living God and find your purpose in Him.”
Nicely said! When does the next tour leave?
