Keith H. Adkins

Don’t Look a Camel in the Mouth: Pilgrimages through the Land of Jesus and Paul, by retired United Methodist minister, the Rev. Dr. Keith H. Adkins, is a title derived from a clever wordplay on the ancient proverb, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Here in a narrative, adventure story-like structure, Rev. Adkins recounts the five spiritual pilgrimages that he and his wife led from 1989-2011 to Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. The author states in the Introduction, “For storytelling purposes, [this] book will be an amalgamation of those adventures in a geographical sequence from east to west, from Israel to Italy, following the same east to west pattern from my childhood trip across America. The stories and experiences are all true, allowing for geography to take precedence over chronology and allowing for it to be set in the context of one adventure.”

Rev. Adkins guides the reader through the journeys with Biblical and historical wisdom, anecdotal musings, and above all, the personal exchanges encountered with the locals. One such encounter involved an amusing interaction with camels, hence, the inspiration for the title. Other encounters were more serious yet enlightening. While staying at the Jerusalem Hilton, the author attended a concert featuring the world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. He states, “Real people gathering for real events. Hard to describe the effect it had on me. I was beginning to realize the Bible wasn’t just words on paper but captured moments in time. My adventures through the land of Jesus and Paul over the next twenty-two years were going to breathe new life into my preaching and teaching and healing as the sights and sounds and aromas of text now were going to have unforgettable context.”

Rev. Adkins is a masterful storyteller and biblical interpreter. His writing will draw you in and provoke you to think deeply. A notable example is the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. This site is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. The author writes about the history, legends, mysteries, and myth of this place “where Jews, and by default Christians, believe Abraham bound Isaac and where Muslims believe Mohammed had his spiritual/physical vision of riding to heaven on a horse.”

Currently there exist massive numbers of travel publications in multiple formats about the Holy Land and the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. This title can stand alone simply by virtue of its unique, easy-to follow, east to west geographical organization in four parts. Maps tracing the author’s travel adventures are the only missing pieces in the book. Even so, Don’t Look a Camel in the Mouth is an adventure-filled, informational read for adults and youth alike. Rev. Adkins offers the reader much to take-in and contemplate about the ancient and modern histories of these lands.

M Rinne, Paradise Valley United Methodist Church… (mer)