"A literalist interpretation of Scripture tells us that God is a rock that sent a bird to cause a virgin to give birth to a loaf of bread. And this is supposed to be an improvement on obtaining a chiseled code of conduct from a flaming shrubbery in a cloud. If a literal understanding is all that is required for faith, then I'm a yellow ducky." --Rabbi Ben SilvaI don't know how long she's been using that quote in her sig file, but I think it popped out at me today because my train reading for the past couple of days has been Sandy Eisenberg Sasso's God's Echo: Exploring Scripture with Midrash. Sr. Joan Chittester, a favorite writer of mine, wrote the afterword, but as I'm only halfway through the book, I haven't read it yet.
This is the second book on midrash I've read in the past year, and the first by Jewish author, as well as a rabbi (Sasso is co-rabbi with her husband at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis, as well as being a noted author). In the section titled "What Makes Us Angry: Eavesdropping on the First Argument," which explores the Cain and Abel story, this paragraph struck me:
These midrashim do more than illustrate the textual playfulness and imaginative creativity of the rabbis. They offer us insight into the world in which the rabbis lived and allow us a glimpse into the economic, religious, and sexual quarrels that plagued their times. In expanding the story of Cain and Abel, the rabbis not only fill in what is missing in the biblical text, they give the narrative new life and make it meaningful for another generation. They also invite us to read our own story into the ancient text. (pp. 69-70)In other words, Scripture is a living document which gets reinterpreted in, by, and for every generation. Midrash is one way in which our stories become part of The Story (for more on this theme, see my Education for Ministry Sunday sermon) and vice versa. If Scripture is nothing more than a printed set of unchangeable rules, regulations, and behavioral codes, then it should have stopped at the Ten Commandments. Or been only the Ten Commandments. Jesus himself knew better.
As I read and listen to many conservatives who insist that the Bible is to be taken literally and as God's final word, I almost feel sorry for them. They are living the dead faith of a dead story.
Years ago during the pilot for the aborted diocesan "sexuality dialogue" I raised the question, "If our Scripture is a living document, why did it stop being written nearly 2,000 years ago?" Which, of course, brought cries of "heretic" from the representatives of the conservative parishes present. Now I know the answer to my own question. Scripture is still being written, and has been written down through the generations. It is our living story, and each of us who takes the time to wrestle with it contributes to it.
Peace,
Jeffri
Bingo! You've got it! Or as I tell people when I teach scripture, it's the beginning of the story, not the end, the first word, not the last word, and so on. And you yourself are part of the ongoing scriptural story.
ReplyDeleteBut this morning for the first time I actually had a flash vision of myself in the middle of that story - cool, and thanks, Jeffri.
Thank you. I came to this conclusion some time ago but having some backup gives it even more value for me.
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