Q. What was it that prompted you to write this particular book, after writing other more general books on prayer, or on Jesus, or on pilgrimages and various other topics?
A. The story of Raising of Lazarus has always held enormous appeal for me. When I was a teenager, I watched the Franco Zeffirelli mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth” on TV. For several years, it would air around Easter and Christmas, sometimes on the major networks. And even though, of course, Jesus’s own Resurrection was the climax of the series, it was the Raising of Lazarus that most imprinted itself on me. Jesus stands in front of the tomb and shouts out—in a plummy British accent— “Lazarus, come forth!” as the music swells. It was almost unbearably dramatic, and it made me want to know all about the story: Who was this guy? Why did Jesus wait? Who were the sisters who spoke so bluntly to him? It fascinated me.
Then, many years later, I visited the Tomb of Lazarus, which is still there, in current-day Bethany, now the town of Al Eizariya (which is, beautifully, in Arabic: The Place of Lazarus). And I found it a powerful experience, almost overwhelming, as I descended into the tomb and tried to imagine hearing God’s voice call me forth from whatever had kept me “bound.” Then I started leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land and when we’d visit the tomb, I’d invite pilgrims to imagine leaving behind in the tomb something that they wanted to “let die.” Many of them emerged in tears. So I knew that I needed to write about it. The theme of the book is that this story can help us hear God’s voice calling us to “come forth” into new life.
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