If we had been alive in the same time that Jesus was, would we have noticed him near us? Would we have stopped to engage with him or been too busy with our tasks and to-do lists to notice his presence? Would we have decided to follow him on the spot, needed years to absorb the redemption his ministry offers, or even resisted his message?
 
The fictional stories in my latest book, Encounters: A Savior Walks the World, arose from my fascination with these questions.
 
In some of the tales, men or women meet Jesus face to face. In others, they discover that something extraordinary has happened in their town or region but cannot yet grasp its meaning. Sometimes their encounter with Jesus is brief, sometimes enduring; sometimes it is joyous, sometimes puzzling or even angering. However it happens, their lives are forever transformed.
 
Inspired by the Gospels, enriched by colorful illustrations and accompanied by the texts of their scriptural sources, the stories of Encounters invite readers to reflect more deeply on the ways that Jesus changes hearts and minds, both during his time on Earth and today.