well it took me a few days of pause to go back and read this. It is sharper than any two edged sword. thank you for your intelligence and insistent effort to get underneath and expose
My background is Jewish...people of the book, etc....so I read the old testament on a fairly deep level (though not as deep at DBB.
Also, to me, the message I have always gotten from Jesus (and in some cases from New Testament authors or attributees) is that God is love. Hence my concern about the (over) focus on OT writers/books whose God is...well, not love. Definitely a contrarian view, not one held by any of the ministers at the Episcopal Church I attend, so we have some fairly interesting conversations....where I mostly learn about scholarly takes on Biblical issues...including give and take of deciding what should and should not be included in the Bible and the poor job translators have done to give us the current iteration of the Bible. I so wish I read Greek, or, even better Aramaic.
Your reflection includes important words about the damage done when people ignorantly believe and follow political and religious leaders who lie to them. While you go on to focus on the climate crisis, I believe those of us in the U.S. currently face more dangerous and frightening consequences because of lies repeated by some prominent political and religious leaders.
I cite two examples, and the evidence that proves the claims are lies, here:
Thank you for a new look at this scripture. I fully relate to your well-supported musing on our current leadership and our personal call to action to “understand what is happening” around us and see the peril in the world: global warming, invasion of Ukraine, our political polarization... Which brings me to this: “The poem is dangerous because of the conventional way many Christians have interpreted it as threat — Israel has sinned, God is angry, the people have not repented, and now God will destroy the land. The stress has been on God’s wrath against human wickedness and how He wants his holiness avenged. Dangerous, indeed.” I fear for many who will sit in the pews and take this as a call to look to others who need to “repent” while not seeing past the plank in their own eyes. We must not fall into despair that causes inaction. Especially in the voting booth for upcoming elections.
RE: The emphasis in the poem isn’t a vengeful God. It is about our failure to live justly toward one another and toward creation.
To me, it sounds/reads like both: a vengeful (disgusted with his creation?) God and that/his creation's failure to live justly...in sooooooooooooo many areas.
And that says a lot, to me, anyway, about unintended consequences and "free will."
I loved the idea to “defang the text as being about personal salvation or eternal salvation”. Jeremiah speaks to ancient ancestors, yet as many cultures embrace the cyclical nature of life, it’s interesting that our own time has all the elements enumerated. The good news is God will not make a full end. As individuals we can choose not to be complacent and work with creation rather than hasten de-creating .
Thank you, Diana, for providing this interpretation of Jeremiah. It pulled me back from despair.
well it took me a few days of pause to go back and read this. It is sharper than any two edged sword. thank you for your intelligence and insistent effort to get underneath and expose
Thanks for all your insights. Any ideas for a good, up to date, (and not misogynistic!) Study Bible?
I love these Insightful OT interpretations which bring out the beauty and depth of what can often be very confusing text especially if literalized
Amen thank you
Thank you Diana for this honest and deep "seeing". It reflects the wisdom we need; the wisdom of a loving Friend who cares beyond understanding. ❤️
My background is Jewish...people of the book, etc....so I read the old testament on a fairly deep level (though not as deep at DBB.
Also, to me, the message I have always gotten from Jesus (and in some cases from New Testament authors or attributees) is that God is love. Hence my concern about the (over) focus on OT writers/books whose God is...well, not love. Definitely a contrarian view, not one held by any of the ministers at the Episcopal Church I attend, so we have some fairly interesting conversations....where I mostly learn about scholarly takes on Biblical issues...including give and take of deciding what should and should not be included in the Bible and the poor job translators have done to give us the current iteration of the Bible. I so wish I read Greek, or, even better Aramaic.
So now my plan for my October 2 sermon has changed. But that's a good thing. Thanks for another helpful Sunday Musing, Dr. Bass.
Thank you for ALL OF This. You Jeremiah Bruegemann. McKibben. ...... AND the latter two poems!!!!!! Yes yes yes.
Thank you for your perspective, for the words by Walter Bruggeman, and for the excerpt from the poem to someone 50 years from now. Urgency and grace.
Very moved by the Matthew Olzmann poem!! Quite powerful and the music was an amazing compliment. Thank you.
Thank you.
Your reflection includes important words about the damage done when people ignorantly believe and follow political and religious leaders who lie to them. While you go on to focus on the climate crisis, I believe those of us in the U.S. currently face more dangerous and frightening consequences because of lies repeated by some prominent political and religious leaders.
I cite two examples, and the evidence that proves the claims are lies, here:
https://medium.com/illumination-curated/two-of-the-most-dangerous-lies-republicans-continue-to-spread-5299ea92be0e?sk=687bcb2ad505ccf7c7e93eb9c4dd1bc0
Thank you for a new look at this scripture. I fully relate to your well-supported musing on our current leadership and our personal call to action to “understand what is happening” around us and see the peril in the world: global warming, invasion of Ukraine, our political polarization... Which brings me to this: “The poem is dangerous because of the conventional way many Christians have interpreted it as threat — Israel has sinned, God is angry, the people have not repented, and now God will destroy the land. The stress has been on God’s wrath against human wickedness and how He wants his holiness avenged. Dangerous, indeed.” I fear for many who will sit in the pews and take this as a call to look to others who need to “repent” while not seeing past the plank in their own eyes. We must not fall into despair that causes inaction. Especially in the voting booth for upcoming elections.
RE: The emphasis in the poem isn’t a vengeful God. It is about our failure to live justly toward one another and toward creation.
To me, it sounds/reads like both: a vengeful (disgusted with his creation?) God and that/his creation's failure to live justly...in sooooooooooooo many areas.
And that says a lot, to me, anyway, about unintended consequences and "free will."
I loved the idea to “defang the text as being about personal salvation or eternal salvation”. Jeremiah speaks to ancient ancestors, yet as many cultures embrace the cyclical nature of life, it’s interesting that our own time has all the elements enumerated. The good news is God will not make a full end. As individuals we can choose not to be complacent and work with creation rather than hasten de-creating .