Read About a Man Rediscovering Jesus as a Jew in Jose Rivera's Trial

NEW YORK, June 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Trial is a first-person novel that depicts a Sephardic Jewish man learning more about who Jesus Christ was as a Jew. The book was written based on a short film of the same name which starred the author, Jose Antonio Rivera-Garcia. Trial's protagonist, Jose Antonio Sanes, shares with readers the turbulent history of Judaism as he learns more about what it means to be a man from his experiences as a son, brother, husband-then-widow, adoptive father, professor, and Rabbi.

Jose Sanes was born in the province of Andalucia in Spain, but his family immigrated to Puerto Rico and eventually settled in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. He narrates to the readers that the country he's from was deeply rooted in Judaism but was eventually converted to Catholicism by the monarchs. He shared the bravery and unity shown by members of the Jewish community from all social and economic classes despite the threat of persecution by the country's leaders. Many Jews chose death over conversion to Catholicism, which Jose used as inspiration in times of adversity.

Guided by the Lord as well as inspired by his mentors and ancestors, the protagonist attended Hebrew school to be a Rabbi, graduated law school, married and started a family, and eventually worked as a professor of constitutional law for his alma mater. His faith, however, was challenged when he lost his wife to cancer. "I would cry out to God many times for Him to fill that void. Sometimes I could feel His presence; others I felt like He didn't care about me. The latter more frequently. I felt alone," lamented Jose. "Was this a question of faith or belief? I didn't know. All that I did know with certainty was that I had a hole in my soul and it wasn't getting better; the pain wasn't getting any less."

While everyone lives his or her own life and has varying perspectives on certain matters, the persistent question about religion and spirituality has endured for ages. Jose's faith is continually tested throughout the book, and he is presented with opportunities for spiritual growth as well as temptations to forsake his faith.

A powerful example of Jose's influence and another surprising source of his strength is his adopted son, Jeremiah. "God יהוה is the only one who truly knows it and can judge me. The real question should be, 'Does my soul, which only God יהוה knows, acknowledge the soul of God's יהוה Messiah'?... It's not a question of faith or belief. It's a question of my soul responding to God's soul regarding the Messiah."

SOURCE Jose Rivera