New Bibles Help Children and Teens Cope With Life Through Scriptures

Coping with depression. Dealing with worry. And tackling fear all are lessons taught in a new Bible series geared toward African American youth called 'My Holy Bible for African-American Children' and 'Our Heritage & Faith Holy Bible For African-American Teens.'

The releases arrive just in time for Easter, one of the most important holidays in the Christian faith. For teens, they come in color palattes for girls (pictured) and boys.

The Bibles come at a time when the nation's youth are experiencing a so-called crisis of faith or lethargy, said Wade Hudson, the nationally acclaimed author and publisher of Just Us Books, who along with his wife, Cheryl Hudson, served as general editors of the Bibles. The project took a year of research and writing.

Hudson hopes the Bibles will serve as a foundation for today's youth to help them move toward religion to seek answers instead of away from the church.

He sees today's youth as possessing a devil-may-care attitude, a trend he fears may have played a role in the death of a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl who recently committed suicide after a spate of bullying by nine teens.

At the core of a lot of problems I see today is that many people feel disconnected to anything of value, including their parents, close friends and God,'' Wade Hudson said.

"So many of us are just wandering alone in the universe and not understanding that we are connected to something larger. I think these Bibles will help our youth to begin to understand their lives and give them a sense of purpose. Having a strong spiritual connection to the Lord is important. It's key to feeling good about who you are and accepting other people. We are all in this together.''

Indeed, the teen Bible offers ways to deal with emotional issues such as being bullied and bullying through a special "question and answer" section at the back of the Bible. When depressed and overwhelmed, for example, the teen Bible urges readers not to deny their feelings. "Read Psalm 42:11" (You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations).

"The psalmist acknowledges his depression,'' the excerpt reads. "He did not pretend he didn't feel awful. You cannot get help when other people don't know how you are doing. Follow his example. Expect to get better.''

When worried, the teen Bible urges readers "to trade your worry for something better -- peace.'' When fearful, it reminds readers that "God's help is to make YOU the conqueror of your own fear.''

"In spite of Sunday school classes, children don't get a good understanding of what our Christian faith is all about,'' Hudson said. "We felt there was a need to develop a vehicle for children and young adults to help them understand what their faith is all about. There are so many young people who are turned off from the church experience. We wanted to provide them with a resource in a presentable, non-threatening way.''

To that end, the children's Bible tries to "connect the spiritual challenges and triumphs of today's youth with the journeys of well-known Bible heroes.'' It illustrates biblical stories with people of color, including striking images of Daniel in the Lion's Den, David and Goliath and, of course, Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. The teen Bible, on the other hand, attempts to address the traditions of the African-American church.

One hundred six pages of articles and essays help teens understand religious heritage, forms of worship and the roots of their Christian faith. Photos help readers relate to contemporary religious figures, ceremonies and experiences. Eight pages of maps help readers imagine the world during biblical times.

'Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens' is available in both the New International Version (NIV) and King James Version (KJV) translations.

"I think we need to delve deeper into the Bible stories to add meaning to our lives,'' Wade Hudson said. "That's what these books are all about, teaching the younger generation to find nourishment in the Holy Bible.''