Review of Session Fourteen
Carol made two keen observations last week. First she noted that Noah has not said anything in this story. And second, that we are told the names of the men but not the names of the women.
I observed that the second observation is probably a function of the patriarchal society that dominated the entire time of the writing of the Jewish and Christian scripture. However, the first is much more likely a function of the authors themselves. If my observations are correct, God’s revelation has much more to do with Noah not talking but very much doing than the fact that the women are not given names. These types of distinctions can enhance our understanding of the Bible without the need to affirm as revealed the cultural make up of the believing communities. Again, this type of distinction is not an all or nothing proposition, nor is it always easy to know. Thus the need for the believing community, responsible theologians, and authentic teachers; at its heart though is the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Great Flood and the Covenant with Noah
We began by reviewing the notes for the Great Flood at Gen: 7:6 – 8:22 and for the Covenant at Gen: 9:1 – 17. Select the appropriate chapter for your review – http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/#Genesis.
The goal of discussing the notes is to allow ourselves to hear more fully, more authentically, the passage we are listening to. Let me know if this helps you. Of course, it can only make a difference if you actually read the notes. If the notes raise any questions, let me know that as well.
There were two of the notes on which I focused our attentions. The first is the note for Gen: 8:7 – 12 where there is reference to the Gilgamesh Epic [really worth your read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh and to the first century A.D. Roman author Pliny. These two references give you clues to how the understanding of the bible has advanced over the years; comparisons and contrasts with diverse sources of similar concepts are very helpful.
The second focal point was the biblical concept of Covenant. I would urge you to google “biblical covenant” to be exposed to this key concept. A covenant has its origins in “secular” society which the Israelites and then the Christians modified to communicate its unique meaning to their faith communities. As Christians we believe that Christ established a new covenant which is expressed every time in the Catholic tradition Mass is celebrated. The Covenant with Noah is with all mortal creatures, see the note for Gen: 9:8 – 17.
At this point I made an observation that to live the biblical stories requires that we come to understand their meaning in the life of the original faith communities. Accomplishing that allows us to keep that meaning but also requires an intelligent adaptation to our new context [authentic conservatism]. Without that adaptation ironically we actually fail to preserve the original meaning [inauthentic conservatism.] The measure is neither being conservative nor being liberal; the measure is being authentic and to that extent you will find yourself in an extraordinarily demanding middle. Your thoughts?
From a review of the notes we moved forward to read Gen: 7:6 – 9:17 but with three questions in mind:
- What part of the story did you like the best?
- What do you think is the most important part of the story?
- Where are you in this story or what part of the story is about you?
We would love to hear you answer to any or all of these questions. Here are a few of our answers.
In response to the first question, Annette did not hesitate to say the first part of the story when God remembered he had Noah in the ark. She wondered aloud, why would God have to remember, didn’t he already know? Later on Annette would answer the final question along a similar but quite profound line. The first part of story where we can wonder if God might have forgotten that Noah was in the ark. This reminded Annette of life. We feel like God forgets where we are sometimes; we feel lost, forgotten. And some people give up on God because they think God has forgotten them. I think Annette’s observations are very profound. Have you ever felt that God has forgotten you? Do you know people who have given up on God because they feel that God has forgotten them?
In response to the first question, Ken remarked that the covenant seemed to reveal that God felt remorse for what had happened and He wanted to make things right with the people. He felt bad, poured himself out to reconcile with what He had done. The Covenant is like a second chance. We talked a lot about how good it feels to be given a second chance; for Tina that is where she found herself in the story. I was reminded of Peter asking Jesus, well how many times do I have to forgive, seven times. Jesus, no, seventy times seven times. And why did Jesus say this, because that is what his Father does and he wants us to be like his Father, his children. What do you think of this part of our conversation? What would you add?
Dan and Tim thought that Noah simply doing what God told him to do without question was the most important part of the story. This raised the fundamental question, to know what God is asking of us. Wouldn’t it be nice if God said, just build the ark, here are the dimensions? Life doesn’t seem to be so clear cut for many of us. I suggested that the important point is not necessarily to know what God is asking of us but to keep the question in front of us. For me the question is more important than the answer. What about you?
There was much more but perhaps this little bit points to the richness of people of faith gathering to listen and share. By responding on line, you too can be part of a larger conversation. Another suggestion would be to gather a few of your family and friends once a week and using this website to guide you in your efforts to Rise to the Level of our Times. When you think about it, that is just what the earliest Christians actually did, of course, without the benefit of the Internet.