Believe it: LEGOs depict Bible stories

Published October 17, 2003 at midnight

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And God said, "Let there be . . . LEGOs?"

OK. We admit that's a stretch.

What he actually said, according to author Brendan Powell Smith, was: "Brendan, from this day forth you will illustrate for me my most holy of books, The Bible, completely in LEGO."

And so he did. (Hey, would you argue with someone who can send plagues of locusts to your backyard?)

Smith's new book, The Brick Testament: Stories From the Book of Genesis, (Quirk, $14.95) fulfills the prophecy, featuring page after page of Bible scenes fleshed out with little plastic figures. They smite each other. They turn into pillars of salt. They climb a miniature LEGO Tower of Babel and hammer away with tiny little LEGO hammers.

So what gives with all the lordly LEGOs?

According to publisher Quirk, it all began with Smith's web site, www.thebricktestament.com. Launched in 2001, the site posted a few Bible scenes created out of LEGO and has grown from there, garnering nearly 2 million hits since its inception.

Still, the question remains: Is this meant to be a blessed undertaking or blasphemy?

Though Smith is identified as "The Reverend" on his web site, his religious leanings are unclear. The author photo at the back of the book only adds to the uncertainty, showing, as it does, a man with greasy black hair and crazed, dark-rimmed eyes. Let's just say, he's either a prophet, a deranged homeless man or someone trying out for a spot in a local haunted house production.

We might investigate further. But even the book counsels against such folly. "Though it remain unclear why Smith has been chosen to illustrate the Bible in LEGO," says a note at the back of the volume, "most scholars and theologians agree it is of little use to question such matters."

To that, we say a heartfelt Amen.

Patti Thorn, books editor!o!ITL!o!

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