The Pondering Pig Explains the Bible
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time understanding the Bible. If I were a comic strip character there would be big question mark balloons coming out of my head as soon as I open the Good Book. I puzzle over passages, wondering what they could possibly mean, but I find that, in spite of my puzzlement, reading the Bible helps keep my head on straight.
I don’t think I’ll ever get some words in the Bible – like glory and glorified. To me, Glory is a really good Civil War movie starring Broderick Crawford. No, Matthew Broderick. It’s a DVD I can rent, but it’s also about some guys who experience something called glory by dying for a cause even though they are little and unknown and forgotten. Maybe by watching that movie I could begin to understand what the word means.
Here’s another usage: “The Beatles got the glory, but their manager got the money.” (not true) Glory is when people think you are really cool because of something you did, or something you do.
Then there’s “what a glorious sunset!” And leave us not forget Little Lulu’s enemy, the beautiful and snobbish blonde little girl Gloria. I won’t even mention certain British Invasion era songs about how to spell the name of certain Irish girls.
But when Jesus talks about being glorified, I just have to go, “Excuse me? Could you explain that please?” Because he’s talking about something else and he doesn’t explain what and he expects me to just understand it and I don’t.
So I get frustrated. Those big question marks start floating over my head. So I go back to the Sermon on the Mount, which I can sort of understand and is sort of like a compendium of how to live well. And I just ponder those things.
Nevertheless, I have received a petition from my readers complaining about the frivolity of my recent posts. So I have decided to tackle a properly serious subject. Enough of these corn dogs and root beers! Tomorrow – or the next day – I will attempt to explain the Bible.
I don’t think I’ll ever get some words in the Bible – like glory and glorified. To me, Glory is a really good Civil War movie starring Broderick Crawford. No, Matthew Broderick. It’s a DVD I can rent, but it’s also about some guys who experience something called glory by dying for a cause even though they are little and unknown and forgotten. Maybe by watching that movie I could begin to understand what the word means.Here’s another usage: “The Beatles got the glory, but their manager got the money.” (not true) Glory is when people think you are really cool because of something you did, or something you do.
Then there’s “what a glorious sunset!” And leave us not forget Little Lulu’s enemy, the beautiful and snobbish blonde little girl Gloria. I won’t even mention certain British Invasion era songs about how to spell the name of certain Irish girls.
But when Jesus talks about being glorified, I just have to go, “Excuse me? Could you explain that please?” Because he’s talking about something else and he doesn’t explain what and he expects me to just understand it and I don’t.
So I get frustrated. Those big question marks start floating over my head. So I go back to the Sermon on the Mount, which I can sort of understand and is sort of like a compendium of how to live well. And I just ponder those things.
Nevertheless, I have received a petition from my readers complaining about the frivolity of my recent posts. So I have decided to tackle a properly serious subject. Enough of these corn dogs and root beers! Tomorrow – or the next day – I will attempt to explain the Bible.
Labels: Meaning of Things
posted by Christopher Newton at 5:31 PM
5 Comments:
May I suggest reading THe Sermon on The Mounty by Emmett Fox. THe words of the bible havent change but the meaning of these words have. In addition, years and years of organized religion and theology have really messed up the meaning.
I had an interesting revelation of sorts the other day. Shouldn't have been a new thing, but I guess my addled mind never thought about it like this before.
I was at a Greek festival at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox church in Tucson. While wandering in the church and contemplating the ikons, I realized that when they read the Gospel in their church, it's not a translation. It was like the whole of scripture opened up before my eyes.
Now I just have to learn Greek.
The immense vast stillness of the all-powerful God, squished into wishy-washy words...no wonder we don't understand it!
I had a conversation with someone just the other day about the scripture where we are commanded to "be ye perfect, even as I am"...
According to the person I was talking to, PRIOR to the industrial revolution, the word "Perfect" meant "complete", or "whole" rather than "without flaw". Only after the age of new machines did we begin to think of "perfect" in terms of scrupulous standards. I have yet to find any documentation to back this up, but it is interesting to look at the etiology of words and realize how our understanding shifts with thier evolving meaning.
Yup. Been studying my Greek these past few days. Did you blog mugs know that the name Christopher is a Greek name and means "Christ-Bearer"?
Coincidence? I think not.
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