In Sweet Mystery of Life, author June Raleigh seeks to provide a critical explanation and clarification of selected portions of Scripture. Her aim is to give those searching for God and the meaning of life a better understanding of the “rules to live by” from the Old Testament and “a path to the afterlife through salvation” from the New Testament.
The text features biblical narratives about Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jonah, along with other sources from history, geology, science and religion, to show how they all work together to provide answers to those who are seeking and searching.
In her “highlights” on “how [God] developed His relationship with mankind,” the author uses concepts such as contrast and duality (sun/moon; male/female), “blending,” and “merging” (the latter two go unexplained) to discover the “sweet mystery of life.” She sees science and faith as aligned, “occurring simultaneously,” and considers them to be “the sacred dimensions of interaction between God and mankind.” Examples of this are seen in the composition of elements: salt in human blood and in seawater; iron in red blood cells and in the earth’s core, among others.
The author’s voice is varied: at times, casual and at other times authoritative. Unfortunately, the narrative lacks cohesion and logical organization. Her stated purpose (rules to live by and the path to eternal life) should have provided the structure to hold the parts together. But the material is only loosely connected and often goes unexplained, resulting in confusion and frustration.
Additionally, the book has no reference page or bibliography, and the author also fails to provide the Bible version used. Furthermore, misuse of punctuation throughout (periods misplaced, commas missing, and dashes misused) causes confusion, and readers will find themselves re-reading many sentences to decipher them.
Many will feel a bit bewildered by the text presented here. Although this work has potential, it needs a thorough line edit, reorganization, and complete referencing of sources to find an audience.
Also available as an ebook.
