Here's the thing....I've read the Bible many times. I've gone through various stages with the Old Testament. Yes, I had the poster saying "Eve Was Framed." Yes, I know that all sorts of terrible things over the centuries, slavery, racism, abuse of women and children, to name a few, have been done in the name of the Old Testament.
And, yes, I know that taking it all literally, especially the time line, is silly.
So what's the point? I think the creation story happens almost every day, all around us. God says "you can have a wonderful life, here it is, just don't (fill in the blank.) But we continue to mess it up. Why do we do that? I don't know. But it all dates back to Adam and Eve.
I love the concept of order coming from chaos. This happens over and over in the Old Testament. It's the story of God's chosen people. It helps me understand where my Jewish friends are coming from. But it's not only their history, it's mine.
Several years ago I loved reading author and philosopher (but not necessarily religious) AJ Jacobs' book "My Year of Living Biblically." It was hysterical. His point was, it can't be done.
Here's what's important to me in every Old Testament story: What is it saying about the nature of God? What is it saying about the nature of us human beings? It says plenty.
(But for me, the full nature of God isn't even close to being fully revealed until Jesus comes on the scene in the New Testament.)
Dave is also reading the Old Testament. He says for the first time. It's an eye opener. Our friend Art, who is somewhat of a Bible scholar, was over on Thursday. When Dave told him he was reading Genesis, Art said "Well, good luck with that. "
Yesterday Dave told me he was perplexed while reading in Genesis about women getting together with supernatural beings. I said, "Well, good luck with that."
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