Determined to keep the youth of his church grounded in the Word during lockdown, author Erik Steidl found a little-remembered character in the Old Testament–Jonathan’s arrow boy. Retelling that story through the perspective of this character gives kids someone to relate to while infusing the truths of that story into their lives.
This Author Strives to Make Scripture Come Alive for Kids
When Erik Steidl talked about writing his book, blog post by blog post, to keep the youth of his church in the Word during the distance created by lockdown, I knew I liked him. There’s nothing more important than Biblical literacy, and making Biblical cultures come alive so our young people can understand the context of Scripture is a great way to ensure they learn to appreciate the stories that we sometimes take for granted.
I love that Steidl used an almost unknown character–just someone mentioned in passing– to bring the story of David and Jonathan alive. That is my favorite way to see Biblical fiction. There’s little concern that your understanding of the actual Bible will blend with the story until you can’t differentiate between them.
His other series, the Philippi series, features people who have always fascinated me, and I’m sure he’s at least on chapter twelve by now… right? *Whistles*
The other thing that impressed me was Erik Steidl’s laser focus on retelling Biblical stories for youth.
Ayal the Arrow Boy by Erik Steidl
Ayal the Arrow Boy tells the story of David and Jonathan from a never-before-seen perspective; that of Ayal, a servant in King Saul’s palace.
Ayal finally has his life going in the right direction. After growing up an orphan on the streets of Jerusalem, he finally has a home in the palace and a good job as a runner for Prince Jonathan. Everything changes when he overhears two men planning to kill David, a commander in King Saul’s army and Jonathan’s best friend. Now the race is on to thwart the scheme, save David, and return peace to Israel. Will he be in time?
You can find out more about Erik Steidl and his books on his WEBSITE.
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