Before Our Very Eyes

This book of poems celebrates the Incarnation: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). The story is simple yet embodies the deepest of mysteries. Before Our Very Eyes begins with a prophetic prologue from Isaiah, then covers the words and experiences of Jesus in the four Gospels and the first chapter of Acts. A short epilogue ends in Revelation. Nancy Thomas has a background in biblical studies, but the poems are personal, coming from her context of living cross-culturally in both Latin America and the United States. Essentially, the poems are conversations with God based on Scripture. The poet gets mad at God at times, asks questions, takes the Almighty to task, worships, and stands amazed. Thomas presents new perspectives on old stories, sometimes putting herself in the shoes of the protagonist. She lets her imagination flesh out the details, while remaining true to the biblical narrative. She often links teachings of Jesus to current world events or puts her own life story into the text. Readers can relate to her personal applications.