Book excerpt: The bestselling Joshua series takes an invigorating, timely new turn as Girzone’s beloved hero spreads his message of love and compassion from the streets of our nation’s capital to the blood-soaked lands of the Middle East. Joseph Girzone possesses a unique ability to make Jesus’ words and actions come to life for contemporary audiences. His fictional depictions of Jesus’ return to the present-day world—the Joshua series—have inspired millions of readers. Joshua in a Troubled World is at once a magnificent continuation of his perennially popular series and an enlightening perspective on the political paranoia and destructive acts of vengeance that fill the front pages of our daily newspapers. Arriving in Washington, D.C., Joshua walks along Pennsylvania Avenue with a cool detachment and determination that sets him apart from the bustling crowds. Under ordinary circumstances, he would no doubt be seen simply as a man wrapped in his own thoughts. But in these security-obsessed times, his Middle Eastern appearance and his spontaneous stops at various churches, temples, and mosques inevitably arouse suspicions. Taken into custody by two government agents, Joshua challenges the legal and moral justness of their actions and they reluctantly release him to continue his mission. It is the most difficult and controversial mission he has ever undertaken—a plan to unite Arab- and Jewish-Americans and to work with them to resolve the bitter wars and religious animosities in the Middle East. Peopled with prominent figures such as Ariel Sharon, and moving from Washington to Beirut and then to Oslo while the peace accords are being hammered out, Joshua in a Troubled World explores the most explosive issues of our day and offers a realistic, compassionate assessment of the things that divide us and the beliefs that can serve as a foundation for a new, more peaceful world.