One thing I’ve discovered during my time as an UnFundamentalist Children’s Pastor is that there isn’t exactly a plethora of spiritual children’s books out there. I mean – there are some, and a few I would venture to say are INCREDIBLE – but by and large, most are out-dated, espouse harmful theology, or have illustrations which leave much to be desired. I wanted to change that. That’s where Sully comes in.
Sully’s Light started out as a class project for a Children’s Ministry course I was taking at Vanderbilt Divinity School last semester. It provided incredible resources, an excellent niche community, and an intriguing final project: to write, illustrate, and produce a children’s book. Naturally, both the librarian and the pastor in me saw an opportunity to create something that didn’t yet exist: a progressive/unfundie spiritual children’s book that encouraged children to think about God in new, unconventional ways that resonated with their lived experiences. After late nights of writing and hours of learn-as-you-go/trial-and-error Adobe Illustrator work, I came away with something I’m so proud of: Sully’s Light. And I hope you enjoy it. You can get your copy here.
Sully is a brown-haired girl who loves dancing, running barefoot in her backyard and singing “la la la” as loud as she can. One day, as she was dancing, running barefoot in her backyard, and singing “la la la” as loud as she could, she felt the warm sun on her neck and took a moment to acknowledge it. In that moment, she senses her own light, as warm and bright as the sun, nestled deep inside of her. As her story unfolds, she finds this same light in some of the most unexpected places and even helps her mother to rediscover her own light.
Her story is one of wonder and awe, curiosity and discovery: all the things we, as adults, seem to struggle with. We find ourselves most often in the midst of chaotic schedules, heavy workloads, and a consistent battle of “keeping our heads above water.” But Sully’s story is meant to remind us to wonder and to be in awe of all we see, feel, learn, and experience. One doesn’t have to be un-busy to wonder or be in awe. We simply have to acknowledge that which is around us. In that acknowledgement, we discover the light. The light “everywhere in everything” that Sully aptly calls, “God.”
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