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When I began reading Peace Like a River, one of the first things I noticed, was that Jeremiah Land was not just your average, run of the mill person. No, he far surpassed human expectations and the characteristic human nature we all seem to possess. He went beyond merely loving the loveable. It seemed that Jeremiah did far more than that. He was indeed somewhat of a Christ figure to the people he met, knew, and family members he had. Just in the first chapter, the reader encounters a miracle take place in a hospital room, as he prays for his little boy, Reuben. It is evident throughout the novel, that Jeremiah receives favor from the Lord time and time again.

One could easily say his character is one that very much so parallels the life of Christ. The first example as stated earlier is that miracles occur frequently with Jeremiah’s faith and prayers. Jesus similarly performs many miracles in the New Testament. Furthermore, Jesus humbled himself by coming down to earth and becoming a human being to save us. In the same way, Jeremiah left his education to become a plumber. In the Bible, Jesus was always led by the Holy Spirit, likewise Jeremiah was guided by Christ. Scripture shows that Jesus was always forgiving, even when people didn’t deserve it. Jeremiah, in the same way forgave Basca and Finch when it seemed impossible to do so. Jesus walked on water, Reuben sees his father walk on thin air off the truck. Jesus made it a point in his ministry to love the unlovable. He was criticized for speaking to the tax collectors and sinners, and for even eating with them, and spending time with them. Not an easy feat, Jeremiah welcomed Lurvy with open arms, and invited him to his home no matter the occasion. In scripture readings, we see Jesus heal people over and over. He brings people back to life, taking away diseases, giving people their hearing back and their sight. Jeremiah healed the superintendent of the school, right after he publically humiliated him in front of the entire school. Another similarity is the miracle of never running out of fish and bread. Jeremiah in the same way, never ran out of soup when feeding Mr. Lurvy, and never stopped for gas when trying to find his son. When the troopers were looking for him, he could not stop for gas considering there were cops at every station. Jesus struggled with God’s will before being cruxified, just as Jeremiah struggled with knowing God’s will in Andresons job to find his son. The final indication was that Jesus died in our place for our salvation, just as Jeremiah died when Reuben was the one who “should” have died.