Tony Hendra, The Messiah of Morris Avenue

The Messiah of Morris Avenue

Tony Hendra

Holt, Apr 2006, $24.00, 256 pp.

ISBN: 0805079645

In the future, America is a theocracy run by fundamentalist Christians who passed laws outlawing everything under God. Meanwhile Christ returns, but not in the acceptable way the ruling theocrats demanded. Instead he does so in the South Bronx where he wears the human garb of the son of a female Guatemalan immigrant and an Irish father who is never around. Jos begins to obtain a street following.

Jos performs miracles, including one that leads to jail time in Connecticut for curing a leukemia victim without a medical license. He quickly persuades cynical journalist Johnny Grecco that he is the savior, though his name is anglicized to Jay. Shockingly Jay insists that all we need is love and tolerance for others to live a holy existence as expected by God the mother. On the other hand he detests war and could not care less about intelligent design, creationism or any other label.

Meanwhile the renowned Reverend detests such blasphemy and wants Jay stopped. The Reverend seeks a modern day Judas to betray Jay. He thinks he found his silver lining with Grecco's desire for Pulitzer level fame, and employs Texas style justice when Jay commits treason by preaching blasphemous pacifism when this country is about to invade Israel.

This sharp satirical tale rips up the fundamentalist right by tearing away the veneer of euphemistic 3 second bite labels, and shreds even more the afraid to say the L word liberals. The irony of this cautionary futuristic tale is that the satirical elements seem light when compared with Jay's message of give peace a chance in a world in which war is the solution (by macho bring em on armchair generals). Tony Hendra provides a thought provoking thriller that warns that if unchecked, America could turn into an intolerant United States of Theocracy.