Many people find the Bible contemptible or, at best, irrelevant. And yet quite a few have purchased my book The Bible Reexamined. Some of those attended my just-completed class based on that book in the Lifelong Learning Program at Shepherd University.
They overcame prejudices.
I have some, too.
No offense to Mormons, but I wouldn’t attend a Lifelong Learning class at Shepherd University titled The Book of Mormon Reexamined.
No offense to Muslims, but I wouldn’t attend a class titled The Quran Reexamined.
And no offense to Taoists, but I wouldn’t attend a class titled The Book of I Ching Reexamined.
Oh, wait. I got ahead of myself there. I actually would attend that class. When it comes to wisdom, my bias is: The more ancient, the better. The I Ching is 2,500 years old.
And as it turns out, parts of the Bible are older than that! Considering its antiquity, I’m surprised the Bible doesn’t get more respect.
Okay, I know, I know. I know why it doesn’t.
It’s because the Bible is proclaimed as “the Word of God” yet condones slavery, the subjection of women, and genocide. Furthermore, the Bible—in the hands of certain preachers—is used to torment and terrify people.
Contemptible indeed!
I, too, once deemed the Bible as the Word of God.
And then—an epiphany: The Bible is merely a human product from an ancient culture.
I began reading the Bible as a cross-cultural experience, the way I read or listen to the songs, myths, and legends of the Iroquois, Navaho, Inuit, and Aztec peoples.
Some of those stories are bizarre. But I don’t ridicule or repudiate them. After all, none claim to be the infallible “Word of God” or a universal arbiter of morality.
So I listen nonjudgmentally and see what wisdom and insights those peculiar stories and songs convey, even though some elements may disgust me. Still, if I practice humility, silence my mind, and open my heart, I may learn something.
Psalm 37:1—10 (abridged)
Do not fret yourself because of evildoers;
For they shall soon wither like the grass.
Put your trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
Refrain from anger, leave rage alone;
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.
Do not fret. Do good.
Photo credit: Shepherdstown Shares, Cari Simon’s sister Jeroentje de Jong-Overduin and son Brett pose with pantry coordinator Janelle with their donations.
Reading sacred texts in a cross-cultural way is a creative, imaginative and humbling experience. As the noted scholar Marcus Borg observed, “The Bible is a human product: it tells us how our religious ancestors saw things, not how God sees things.” It enables minds to open, hearts to soften and good to happen in the world. Thank you for contributing to that noble effort!
Takes humility and curiosity to listen to different viewpoints, good work, Randy.
I appreciate your book, your perspective on human beings telling stories & sharing their recollections of ancient life & history & wisdom. This psalm sums it up! Do not fret…do good… repeat again & again… it works for me ( when I remember to work it ).
Thank you Randy
I participated in the No Kings rally in Shepherdstown yesterday. Martinsburg got bumped due to the Apple Harvest parade. I have grave concerns about the direction the present maladministration is literally pushing and dragging the country. I came away renewed and reassured. All is not lost just yet. I ran into some folks I haven’t seen in a while and basically came away renewed, reassured, and even inspired. Not bad for an old, cynical guy, though a hopeful one. (The two states of mind are contradictory, at least by definition, but then I’ve always referred to myself as a boondoggle of contradictions, which I think most of us are.) Psalm 37: 1-10 neatly sums it up. It reminds me of a line from an old Billy Ed Wheeler song titled, “Desert Pete.” “You’ve got to give until you get, I’m the one who ought to know.” The tune is about a note the cautions a thirsty traveler to use the water found in a cup beside a pump to prime said pump with the cup of water, not to follow first impulses to drink it. Because following directions will give one all the water you could possibly hold. We’ve got to have faith that things will work out for us in the end. As the old spiritual encourages us, “Keep your hand on the plow; hold on.” March on people!
Imagine if a 3000 year old text was found in a cave somewhere in the western US. Experts would soon discover that it contains centuries of Apache history, lore, and sacred teachings. I would expect it to become wildly popular, monetized, bumper stickered, and the focus of many PhD dissertations, along with the usual misinterpretations and cultural misappropriations. Just as likely, many would find wisdom and solace in it, and meditate on it often. That’s pretty much what we have with the Bible and the tribal cultures that produced it. But the “cool factor” that would come with the imagined Apache text has soured and long since worn away with the Bible (for many), in part because of all the abuse that text has been subjected to, and in part because the culture and settings of its writers is so vague and lost to us. So, when I read the Psalm you put in your missive today, I immediately think of our situation in the US under ‘Rump, and take heart. I’m reminded that the Hebrew people endured some very hard times, even though I don’t grasp their culture very well. Then I recall hard times in the US- the Depression, the 60’s/70’s; assasinations, civil rights struggles, Stonewall, et al. I think of the 775 who showed up yesterday in Southwest Harbor, Maine (pop. 1544) for the No Kings rally. So even though I know I’m missing a lot of what the original writer intended in that Psalm for today, and injecting views from my own cultural lenses, still, the ancient text does its magic and speaks well yet again.
I was a UN election observer in West Africa during a war. The town i was in was attacked. We were protected by traditional hunters with ancient shotguns against ak-47s & shoulder fired grenade launchers. But the hunters called komanjoes or konmndores had magic power. Say what you will but im still breathing and free. Its a great story in my book, Playing Bigger Than You Are.
YAAAAYYYY 4 YESTERDAY!!!
Of the days of our lives, actively or not, we are about the curating of “wisdom and insights.” From South Park to the pre-Socratic philosopher Thales of Miletus there is a lot to reflect on and opt to adopt, adapt, or just wing it.
As John Prine put it, “Mama dear, your boy is here/Far Across the sea/Waiting for that sacred core/That burns inside of me.”
Gleaning ancient wisdom from cross-cultural references into a stew of human thought spanning millennia? Yes please, I’ll take two. You’ve always done that.
The constitution also condoned slavery at first but we became enlightened (some call it woke shhh) and fixed that part. Probably from all of that cross culturing!
Thank you, Randy! Because I grew up 13 miles outside of Washington, DC, a vibrant, internationally populated city, I have always thought of myself as “a child of the world.” I can’t imagine who I’d be today without having had so many definitive experiences, and I am more grateful than I can say. One other thought came to mind from your powerful words today: The poem, “Lost,” by David Wagoner. Mother Earth, and the acts of asking to know Her and to be known by Her, always grounds us in the wonder of our humanity and connectivity to all peoples and cultures. I’m sorry I can’t remember the poem verbatim, so here is a link that I think All friends here will appreciate!
P.S. I’ll bet many of us here attended yesterday’s rally! Not one was “lost” as we celebrated our common humanity, freedoms, and democracy. A whole lotta “good” was happening! Keep on keepin’ on!
https://grateful.org/resource/lost-david-wagoner/
Psalm 37 was very abridged! It’s 40 verses were my summer assignment between eighth grade and ninth grade. My father assigned us memory homework every summer. If we didn’t have it finished by the end of August to recite it, no TV till it was recited. I’m reading Phil Yancy’s book, The Bible Jesus Read. It sure helps with the roller coaster emotions and messages in the Psalms. Ancient writings not only lead to important realizations, but also show me that God gave messages to groups around the world through the ages. It was a great opportunity for you to use your book to lead a class in a Lifelong Learning class. Good idea for you and the participants.
Just wondered who the folks in the photo were, paper towels, maybe toilet paper…hope they were giving it away
Randy posted that photo with his post, but it looks like an emergency services supply or food pantry group, and they would be giving items away.
Thanks, just what I hoped
Anne
https://www.shepherdstownshares.org/
Someone I loved and trusted did great evil to me and seems to be thriving, not withering like the grass. I try to do good anyway.
I have ignored most of the Bible for most of life simply because of all the fill that makes the message hard to find. Most things that I appreciate from the Bible are generally words that made their way into song. Thinking of Turn, Turn, Turn by Pete Seeger and later the Byrds, By the Rivers of Babylon (Toots and the Maytals?), and other songs that contain a snippet or two, or more often capture the essence of Christian thought. Would be great to have a book that simply focuses on the essence of the Bible and not the wars, begats, retribution, and grandstanding. Something akin to the Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu for Christians.