The Characters of Easter: The Villains, Heroes, Cowards, and Crooks Who Witnessed History's Biggest Miracle
By: Daniel Darling / Narrated By: Tim Mullins
Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
Delightful, avoid the words of the Nay-Sayers, and Listen for Wonderful History and Added Thoughts!
I was lolling around in bed, phone nearby, enjoying The Characters of Easter most mightily even tho’ I’d not started until post-Easter Monday 2023. I was intrigued at times, chortling at others, remembering events in m’ own learning history in a Catholic household, and I decided: Whatthehay! Lemme go see what-all glowing reviews this has over on Audible (Because, you see, narrator Tim Mullins does a bang-up job, serious at times, tongue-in-cheek at others. Always on the nose, if p’raps a weeee bit over-enthusiastic).
Imagine my surprise when I hit the audiobook’s review section and found one glowering in indignant outrage: Said person was affronted by offhand anecdotes (Uhm, A LOT of the story crafting, and one that engages really quite well, so, truly: UHM?), and get this: Said person also wanted author Daniel Darling to keep his politics outta it all. I mean whazzaheck?! Politics? WHERE? I mean, he mentions that he was writing this during Covid Lockdowns and Easter services and celebrations were gonna look a wee bit different, but dang: It’s not like he gently offered: As this is an illness carried by respiratory particles, would y’all pretty please mind Masking? I mean, THERE: OFFENSIVE to all and sundry!!! But I kid about the Masking, and please don’t throw Molotov cocktails at m’ abode…
There is NOTHING Political here. It’s just a truly delightful collection of the witnesses of the Resurrection, Christ’s followers, just how very Human they all were, how very Flawed, but they were loved and accepted anyway. If that doesn’t bring a warm fuzzy feeling to the Soul, if that doesn’t bring a tear or two to the Eye? Then Jiminy H. Freaking Cricket, what will?
So there it is: While this is barely 5+ hours, it’s jam packed with people who just happened to take part in Jesus’ journey, be it poor (Doubting) Thomas, who here is fleshed-out and shown to be much beloved by Jesus. Or be it Barabbas (Referred to as The Rogue in the chapter title).
Personally, my favorite were two of the many chapters. Pilate is dubbed The Powerless, and Darling dips into history to chronicle his initial miscues which peeved off the Jewish Community he shoulda been working with, but alas! dorked out and offended. And Darling adds further just how tetchy things were getting between Pilate and Rome, what with Pilate occasionally being quite feckless indeed. I’ve always had a soft spot for Pilate, what with my introduction to him being the superior performance by Barry Dennen in “Jesus Christ Superstar” where he seems moved, but like power is torn from his grasp, leaving him no choice but to add to the greatest Injustice possible.
Plus, I had a crush on him…
So there’s that… (Whadda ya expect: I was, like, six at the time, and drawn to anyone who’s hands were tied and felt gosh-awful about it…)
But by far the favorite chapter is The Witnesses: The Women at the Tomb, just how awesome those women were who were with Jesus from the get-go, walked with him, anointed his feet, witnessed his horrific death, and discovered his body gone. Women had no power, and their words were taken with a grain of salt, but so many loved him that they were difficult to ignore. Boooo! to the wretched Patriarchy, but Huzzah! for women with honor, grit, courage to follow, determination to speak the truth.
Okay okay okay: One final chapter shoutout goes to The Secret Disciples, which has Darling putting actions into context, just how difficult, how dangerous it was to be a follower. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had holiest of gumption to meet, however surreptitiously, with Jesus, to discuss his teachings with each other. And then they went on to offer Honor and Dignity to Jesus when all was said and done. Joseph gave up his own burial cave, a site crucial to the Resurrection and our Easter understanding, all in successful efforts to make the death NOT ignominious, NOT something inglorious, NOT something, a tragedy, swept under any rug. When all hit the fan at the end, Darling goes to great lengths to maintain that theirs was a faith very grand indeed.
Add in some wry (But nowhere neeeear “offensive”!) humor, Tim Mullins doing a, well, if not masterful job, then certainly a verrry capable one that kept me engaged and entertained and enlightened throughout, throw in vast amounts of history (Which is always a Yessss! for me) to put events and the beliefs and devotion of followers in context, and this was a wonderful little Listen. Plus, Peter’s denial thrice of Jesus before the cock crows garners a mighty Sympathy Vote…
Just sorry I futzed around the week(s) prior and couldn’t offer this review on the Day Itself. It’s a little gem, and it’s well-worth the pittance o’ time.
And please: No Molotov cocktails…? Cuz, you see, Darling did NOT say ANYthing offensive or political. That particular honor would go to Moi…
You’re welcome…!
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