On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year, that is, of King Jehoiachin's exile, the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.—
There the hand of the LORD came upon me....
Anyone reading the Old or New Testament must notice their careful historical and geographic placement of events; as, for instance, Ezekiel locates his vision during Jehoiachin's exile. These things happened not once upon a time or in a galaxy far, far away. Nor, for that matter, has anyone in the Bible lived happily ever after. With few exceptions -- I can think of Jonah and Job -- the books of the Bible describe real events in our familiar world.
When historians today give us the precise date of many past events, and attempt to describe their context, they are acting within those biblical conventions.
Even the four major incidents of Genesis 1-11 happened "prehistorically;" that is, before Abraham and Sarah. The story of that blessed couple signals God's real-world decision to intervene in human history. Because, so far, nothing has worked out well without the LORD's interventions.
The New Testament authors address the issue of myths -- stories of once-upon-a-time in never-never-land -- and insist that there is nothing mythological about Jesus. The word appears five times within the pastoral epistles; as, for instance, 2 Peter:
We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Why is this important? Myths are human creations. But we are not saved by human inventions; neither by stories, pictures, or symbols. As much as we might enjoy them, they do not set us free. For that we need real food, real sacraments, and real human beings within a very substantial world. Myths are only ideas, and our salvation is more than a good idea.
But this is not to say these historical events do not have a mythic quality. As we retell, ponder, and reenact these incidents with plays, operas, ballet, and cinema they enter our imagination and shape our vision of the world. Hearing of the mighty works wrought by the LORD's hand, for instance, we find his hand in our own lives, with incidents great and small. As he spoke to Jesus, Saint Paul, or Mary Magdalene, God speaks to us through these mythic events.
The Gospel comes to us in many words, images, and historical events but the Word of the Lord cannot be contained by any human word. We must hear it in the mysterious silence of our hearts and make it real with words and deeds.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.