Amara

Abstract

Amara is a satirical reimagining of the Jesus story told from a God's-eye perspective. It lightly probes the myth of the virgin birth, miracles, Christianity’s departure from the teachings of Jesus, the notion of an omnipotent God, and what might happen if a Gen Z Messiah arrived in the age of DNA testing and rolling news.

In an Australian relocation of the biblical Annunciation, Mary, soon to marry Joseph, becomes pregnant while claiming to be a virgin. Joseph tries to identify the father by collecting genetic samples from neighbours in the same apartment block. When this proves unsuccessful, and after being threatened by an antagonistic angel, Joseph abandons his search and accepts a bizarre alternative explanation: that Mary conceived while sunning her perineum on their balcony.

Amara is born in a barn on 1 January 2000. Three girls, children of refugees, turn up with gifts after dreaming of her birth and become part of the family. A Catholic priest and a dogmatic parishioner become aware of a possible incarnation. While Joe is receptive to the priest's interest, Mary rebuffs his attempts to become involved, determined to protect Amara and give her a normal life. Joe and Mary have a second child, Joshua, and life is mostly suburban normal. As she grows, Amara reveals herself to be an extraordinary child, with an unusually close relationship with God.

When Amara is ten, she disarms a knife-wielding man with a history of mental illness – an act that inexplicably restores his sanity. A journalist is assigned the story, and her investigation uncovers possible earlier miracles. The ensuing media interest prompts the return of the priest, parishioner and angel and makes normal life impossible for the family. A Catholic bishop sees an opportunity to deflect public attention from the growing scandal of institutional child abuse and offers sanctuary to the family at a retreat in the countryside.

The submitted manuscript represents the first stage of a larger narrative following Amara from birth into adulthood.