"In a world where the media relentlessly enflames fear and hatred, here is a quiet voice espousing the triumph of love and peace." --Archbishop Desmond Tutu

"This book shows the many similarities between Buddhism and Christianity, such as the practices of compassion, love, contemplation, and tolerance." --The Dalai Lama

"This may be exactly the way it happened. A tour de force." --Tom O'Horgan, director of Jesus Christ Superstar

"May this book bring a lot of benefit to people who read it." --Thich Nhat Hanh, Love in Action

"A book that reminds us again and again of Jesus' gospel of love." --Saul Bellow

2,000 years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher was condemned to crucifixion. A man named Simon, from Cyrene, was compelled to help Jesus carry the heavy cross. What did he and Jesus talk about? Eager to learn more about this "rabbi," Simon returned to Jerusalem the next day. What he learned changed his life, and gave his descendants an incredible secret.

John Smelcer is the author of over fifty books, many translated and published worldwide. With Russian Orthodox Archbishop Benjamin, John contributed to the revised map of global Christianity in the tenth edition of Living Religions (Mary Pat Fisher, Ed.), and with the Dalai Lama, he coauthored a poem on compassion. Dr. Smelcer's education includes postdoctoral studies at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard, where he studied Buddhism, Islam and Sufism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity, including the historical Jesus of Nazareth.