Bookends II: reflections on the last verse of each book of the Bible, by P D Gray 

Takes you on a journey to do something unusual in order to explore the Bible in a fresh way

Bookends II: reflections on the last verse of each book of the Bible
By P D Gray
Wipf and Stock
ISBN: 9781666757507
Reviewed by Terry Young 

I wanted to review this book because I thought it was a neat idea to pick out the last verse of each book of the Bible and make a collection of meditations based on such a selection. Not surprisingly, I’ve just had a fun afternoon making this whistle stop tour through the Bible jumping from the end of one book to the end of the next. You might find this an artificial construct, but I quite like the quirkiness and the juxtaposition between the verses themselves and also against what I thought I knew about the books.

By way of background, I've discovered that Bookends I takes the first verse of each book, but Bookends II makes good sense and works as a standalone read if you haven't encountered the first volume.

I guess there are two things a book review needs to do: give people an idea of what's in the book; and provide enough information for them to decide whether to read it for themselves.

So, how does this book work? It's partly a reflection on the text in each case, partly a summary of the book that reaches its conclusion in each verse quoted, and partly a Gospel appeal. The sections are about a page long, with the verse in question leading into a reflection which is followed by a sort of epigrammatic summary: anything from one word to a few lines.

There were two things I really liked about this way of going through the Bible so quickly and using these particular stepping-stones.

First, the last verse is often atypical of the rest of the book. I was once given a book – a much thicker book, which I'm sad to admit I never read – that picked a single verse from each book of the Bible. I can see how, if you were doing that, you would select a very different set of verses from either of the Bookends collections. The last verse, for instance, of Exodus (40:38) says,

For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Since the title and large swathes of the narrative cover the way in which the Israelites left Egypt, it's interesting that the lingering image is not of exit but of God's presence among his people as they travel on.

Second, I became aware of patterns I hadn't noticed before because I was speeding through the books. Paul's letters, for instance, usually finish on a comforting note in which God's grace is prominent.

Is this book for you? The use of the authorised version and matching elements of literary style in places (e.g.: infinitely gracious condescension, p 80), which complements a distinctly reformed theology, will not be to everyone’s taste. However, even if the archaisms don't float your boat, there are are gems. An example that caught my eye was on p 54:

So it is that Genesis can mistakenly be explained away as hazy macro-myth, Revelation as literal geo-political micro-fact.

Personally, I found the volume turned up too high on sin and judgement and would have preferred more balance around the sheer joy and contentment of walking with God.

That said, even when I struggled with the tone or content of a reflection, I felt challenged to work out exactly what it was I did believe.

In summary, it's short and pacy and probably a bit of a ‘Marmite’ monograph – you’ll either love it or hate it – but that isn't the point. The point is that it takes you on a journey to do something unusual in order to explore the Bible in a fresh way. The bonus is that some people will really love this take, while the added bonus for those who don't is that they have a pad from which to launch their own 200 to 300 word reflection on each verse.
 

Terry Young is a missionary kid who read science and engineering. After a PhD in lasers, he worked in R&D before becoming a professor, when he taught project management, information systems and e-business, while leading research in healthcare.

He set up Datchet Consulting to have fun with both faith and work and worshipped at Baptist churches in Slough for 19 years before moving to the New Forest