The Gospel Blimp (and Other Parables)

A blimp that saves souls. A college student who flies. A conflicted southern preacher in the wake of a local lynching. A mysterious stranger at a corporate Christmas party who turns water into wine.

Beginning in the late 1950s, Joe Bayly made it his business to expose the blind spots of American Christianity. How did he do it? He wrote parables—or, as Joe put it, stories on target. And, as it turns out, he did a pretty good job at it.

Here in one collection are Joe’s wisest and funniest stories. These are stories about sinners, bumblers, fools, and hypocrites. In other words, they are stories about normal, everyday people. The kind you might find on the other side of a mirror.

And, really, if you’re not looking in the mirror you’re missing the point. Not that Joe was mean. Satirists needn’t always be scoffers or cynics. Joe just saw people the way they were and loved them enough to say so. And he had a knack for saying so with wit, charm, and a healthy dose of good humor.