As Holy Week approached in 2022, the Rev. Paul Raushenbush looked for a children’s book to help animate the liberating story of Jesus’ death and resurrection to his two sons. He wanted something that reflected his understanding of the gospel, shaped by liberation theology. He found none.
After lamenting this reality, he sat down to write his own. He shared the work on his social media platforms and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Raushenbush has teamed up with production designer Tim Gilman and illustrator Jin Xia to bring the project to fruition with the publication of “Together We Rise: An Easter Story for All of Us.”
The story and illustrations in the book represent a vast array of people, including those of different sizes, shapes and colors. Jesus is described in the story as “God’s heart in human form who came to show a different kind of power to the world, the power of love.”
“Together We Rise” is receiving widespread acclaim.
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, pastor and author of “Fierce Love,” says the story is “indeed an Easter story for all of us!” She tells those who care for children, “Your little person, like the women at the cross, will feel both love and joy as they encounter their friend Jesus in this lovely book.”
Tim and Aubrey Chaves, hosts of the Faith Matters podcast, say, “Together We Rise makes the core of Jesus’ teachings as simple as they were meant to be: we need to love radically and forget no one– especially those most easily forgotten.”
Rev. Dr. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is an ordained American Baptist minister. He has held pastoral and leadership roles in several faith-based organizations and is currently the President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. Raushenbush is the great-grandson of Walter Rauschenbuch (different spelling), a key figure in the early 20th-century Social Gospel Movement.
“Together We Rise: An Easter Story For All Of Us” can be purchased at Amazon and other online retailers.
Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.
