Religious ponderings
Jan. 11th, 2007 03:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kayreYou've been warned.
Random thoughts after reading the Exodus chapter in The Bible in History by David W. Kling, and discussions of the story on various Jewish LJs I read.
Why don't we preach Exodus? We being white Protestant churches.
Many theologians say it's the central theme of the Hebrew scriptures, our "Old Testament." It is a wonderful story about God's involvement in the world. Many Christians see it as Act I, preceding the Jesus story-- but Act II has become a one-act play in most churches.
Did Cecil B. Demille make the whole story so concrete that we can only see and hear his version? Can't experience the story for ourselves, can't explore different interpretations, can't let our imaginations and spirits hear it anew?
Are we too repelled by the uglier parts of it? The God who kills the firstborn, who also kills off lots of the Hebrews in the wilderness? I don't think that's it-- most Christians don't even know or remember that second bit, and never stop to think about the first all that much.
Is it that the black church so thoroughly tied the story to the civil rights movement that we whites can't hear it any more without guilt about slavery-- and the resentment that goes along with guilt?
The Protestant church has gotten so hung up on one interpretation of the Jesus story as if it's the whole story-- "Jesus died to save you from your sins." That's not even the only Jesus story, and it's certainly not the only God story. It's pretty clear that lots of people feel no need to be saved from their sins, so the church that only preaches that one story has nothing for them. But Exodus-- Exodus can talk about being saved from other things. Being saved from slavery; from a society where you don't fit; from a dehumanizing situation. And it can talk about being led to new things-- to a new way of living, to creating a new type of community. Other aspects of the Jesus story speak of these things too.
Why are we only telling one story, and twisting all other stories to fit? It's like singing only one song.
Random thoughts after reading the Exodus chapter in The Bible in History by David W. Kling, and discussions of the story on various Jewish LJs I read.
Why don't we preach Exodus? We being white Protestant churches.
Many theologians say it's the central theme of the Hebrew scriptures, our "Old Testament." It is a wonderful story about God's involvement in the world. Many Christians see it as Act I, preceding the Jesus story-- but Act II has become a one-act play in most churches.
Did Cecil B. Demille make the whole story so concrete that we can only see and hear his version? Can't experience the story for ourselves, can't explore different interpretations, can't let our imaginations and spirits hear it anew?
Are we too repelled by the uglier parts of it? The God who kills the firstborn, who also kills off lots of the Hebrews in the wilderness? I don't think that's it-- most Christians don't even know or remember that second bit, and never stop to think about the first all that much.
Is it that the black church so thoroughly tied the story to the civil rights movement that we whites can't hear it any more without guilt about slavery-- and the resentment that goes along with guilt?
The Protestant church has gotten so hung up on one interpretation of the Jesus story as if it's the whole story-- "Jesus died to save you from your sins." That's not even the only Jesus story, and it's certainly not the only God story. It's pretty clear that lots of people feel no need to be saved from their sins, so the church that only preaches that one story has nothing for them. But Exodus-- Exodus can talk about being saved from other things. Being saved from slavery; from a society where you don't fit; from a dehumanizing situation. And it can talk about being led to new things-- to a new way of living, to creating a new type of community. Other aspects of the Jesus story speak of these things too.
Why are we only telling one story, and twisting all other stories to fit? It's like singing only one song.
