April 29, 2008
-
More than Great Literature
Psalm 8
A David Psalm
God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.
Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.
I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?
Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
whales singing in the ocean deeps.
God, brilliant Lord,
your name echoes around the world.(The Message)
Sometimes people dismiss the Bible because they say it isn’t relevant anymore. They say they don’t enjoy reading it, it’s too dry, it’s hard to understand. For me, the Bible is more than great literature. It is God speaking directly to me. It holds answers for a world that is crying for meaning, where people everywhere wonder “What is the purpose of my life?”
I used to struggle with Bible reading. Then I found “The Message” translation of the Bible. In it, I found myself connecting to the beauty of the scriptures like never before. I particularly love some of the Psalms – you cannot deny that the passage I quoted above is beautiful and lyrical poetry. Even a non-believer can recognize and appreciate the rhythm and powerful imagery used. Psalm 8 happens to be a favorite of mine. It accurately speaks of my own wonder at the world around me, and the awesome responsibility I feel for it, knowing how insignificant I am, and yet, knowing that I have been entrusted with the care of our beautiful creation. How can this not be relevant, especially in light of the recently observed Earth Day, and the popularity of the “green” movement? It’s not new, people. It is a mandate that goes back to the beginning of time. When God made the earth and gave the job of caring for it to humanity, it came with the responsibility of managing and preserving the earth’s resources, not exploiting and abusing these marvelous gifts.
If you would like to check out The Message for yourself, there is an online version that you can read here. Maybe you will find in it words to live by. Maybe you will simply appreciate it for its historical and literary value, much the way you can appreciate Plato or Shakespeare. Or maybe you will encounter the Living God.
Give it a try. I dare you.
Comments (10)
i have a message bible and i love it – it’s much easier to read than standard bibles and uses modern words and phrases… unfortunately it is packed and at my friend’s house in oklahoma as i was moving there last summer but she has yet to send the boxes back to me even though i sent her money for shipping… well i’m supposed to get them next week some time – i won’t hold my breath
Thank you for the nice comment and compliment! You have lovely pictures here! The phlox on the stairs makes me want to go home and start making concrete terraces all over my yard.
I’m currently reading from The Clear Word Bible. Unfortunately it is not one you will find on Bible Gateway. An Adventist professor from Southern University in Tennessee wrote it over a three year period in an attempt to make the Bible come alive for himself. He orginally didn’t intend to publish as it is a paraphrase rather than an actual translation, but somehow it ended up published. It is also very good and employs many of the same methods the Message uses.
This is a lovely post. I think the relevance is very real. But when it comes to great literature, my favorite translation of Psalm 8 is the New Oxford. I guess I’m old school, lol.
@MooncatBlue - Oh I agree that the “old” language is beautiful too, but the more contemporary language is easier to read on a regular basis. I struggle with the older tranlsations of the Bible in the same way I struggle with Shakespeare — it is sometimes WORK to read, but the effort can be worthwhile.
Thank you!
Some of the psalms are beautiful. I remember reading them when I was in school.
I still read the King James version, although I have several other versions for references. Amazing how I find something new and fresh every time I pick up my Bible. I wrote an editorial once about the Bible being the only book you need in your library. It has the answer to all of life’s problems and questions.
I’ve read through the KJV a few times. You know those read through the Bible in a year things. I like the KJV, I guess I’m old fashioned. I also have the NIV.
Great Post! Thanks for sharing!! Poetry Contest