‘Jesus: Year 33’

Christians aged 30-39 write about Jesus in a book addressed to their own generation. The money raised will go to an anti-trafficking organisation.

Joel Forster , Evangelical Focus

VALENCIA · 08 MARCH 2018 · 17:43 CET

Some of the thirty-three authors of the book. / Estrella Cardona,
Some of the thirty-three authors of the book. / Estrella Cardona

A concert with artist Eva Betoret and band put a frame to the presentation of “Jesus: Year 33”, a book edited by theologian Eduardo Delas.

About 150 people attended the event in a Baptist church in Valencia (Spain). The aim of the project, Delas explained, was to gather thirty-three Christians aged 30-39 to write a book addressed to other people of their own generation.

This specific age group, Delas said, has “suffered the effects of a social, financial and spiritual crisis in the last years”, and has much to say about the Gospel.

 

APPLYING JESUS’ MESSAGE AND LIFE

In every chapter, one author (eighteen men and fifteen women) describes and analyses a scene of Jesus’ life - beginning with his birth, continuing with his miracles, parables, teaching, and his death and resurrection.

 

The book.

Written in a simple and direct style, every passage of the gospels is applied by the authors to the experience of day-to-day life.

In the prologue, missiologist Samuel Escobar writes: “We have just celebrated the 500 years of the experience of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation - one of its contributions was the re-discovery of the priesthood of all believers. This book is an example of how this principle is applied in today’s evangelical churches”.

 

FIGHTING SEXUAL EXPLOITIATION

The book will help to raise funds for the evangelical anti-trafficking network “Esclavitud XXI” (Slavery 21), which fights against the sexual exploitation of women.

Activist Jorge Rodrigo reminded everyone of the fact that Spain is the number one consumer of prostitution in Europe, with about 1.5 Million paid sex acts every day. Fighting against the abuse of women begins with education and continues with collaboration with the police and caring for the victims, Rodrigo said.

“If there were no demand for prostitution, the problem of sexual exploitation would disappear”, he explained. Singer Eva Betoret also addressed the issue in one of her songs.

 

Eva Betoret, during her concert. / E. Cardona

 

“MESSAGE TO OUR GENERATION”

‘Jesus: Year 33’ ends with a manifesto, written by Oscar Perez. He writes: “My generation - those of us who live between the analogic and the digital world – are a strange duck in our society. We’re the first generation in Spain born in democracy, we grew in the midst of continuous social and technological changes that have developed in a very fast manner”.

“But life has not changed: we are born and we die. And this is why Jesus came, because life fades away for all of us”.

 

Many came to the presentation-concert. / E. Cardona

Published in: Evangelical Focus - cities - ‘Jesus: Year 33’