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by Brian J. Murray (Author), Eric Strong (Illustrator), Elizabeth Crann (Editor)
Lent and Easter are seasons to reflect on the four last things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Seven Eagles explores these concepts in allegory so that children (and adults) can begin to grasp them.
In this age we avoid pondering Death, Judgement or Hell. We don't mind thinking about Heaven, but we hope we will just slip in. Deep down we know this isn't true. We know we are stained by sin.The good news is that there is Redemption. Redemption isn't cheap. The Cross is the high price paid for my sin. This is the heart of the Gospel. When we invite Jesus to be our personal Lord and repent of our sin, His Blood Redeems us. Our rebellion is reversed, living as we were created to be, free from guilt, free to be His children, and free to enter the Kingdom of God!
AUTHOR: Brian Murray and his wife Teresa love Jesus! They have twelve children and currently fourteen grandchildren. They are members of the People of Hope, a Christian Community in NJ. Brian served in leadership roles in this community and the community's school, Koinonia Academy. Brian served four years in the U.S. Navy. He founded a business, Providet Service Associates. Now retired, two of his sons run the company. Raising a large family is a challenge and from the beginning Brian & Teresa found creative ways to pass on the faith to their children. An example of that is this book, Seven Eagles, which Brian wrote during Lent of 1997 to teach the family about a difficult concept, The Last Four Things, Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. The manuscript lay dormant for many years, but in 2023 Brian read it to two of his grandchildren who encouraged him to get it published.
ILLUSTRATOR: I am deeply grateful for the illustrator of Seven Eagles. Eric Strong was a joy to work with, and his illustrations faithfully captured the spirit, imagery, and deeper vision of this book. As a child, Eric struggled with reading and faced challenges in school due to a learning disability. Yet, through patience, encouragement, and the steady support of his mother and grandmother-reading picture books together, exploring comics, and receiving tutoring-he slowly discovered both his voice and his wings. What once seemed like a limitation became the place where imagination took root.
Today, Eric works with authors from around the world and also writes and illustrates his own stories, helping children discover a love for books that can lift them beyond fear and frustration. While he delights in illustrating whimsical and light-hearted tales, he is especially drawn to stories of underdogs-those who rise beyond expectations and discover a strength they did not know they possessed. Eric is a versatile illustrator with decades of professional experience as a freelance artist. He has illustrated nearly 100 books, each one a testament to perseverance, creativity, and hope-and he eagerly looks forward to illustrating many more.
