I decided to start reading the Bible this morning. That is my own journey, one that I want to keep private, but at work today, thinking about what I read in the first couple chapters of Genesis, a question continued nagging me and so I thought I would raise it here on blogger.
The story about Cain's banashment after murdering his brother Abel, really gripped me. I was imagining Smeagol murdering his best friend Deagol. While reading the Holy word of God, Peter Jackson's film was flashing through my head. Abel as Gollum: balding, rotting teeth and skin, isolated and lonely in some far off mountainous region on the edge of the earth. Poor Gullum. Poor, sad, Abel.
And so my question is: How can I possibly come to the scriptures clear minded with today's pop culture icons swimming in my brain? My mind is one of those old slide screens and playing on it are years worth of television and film clips. The A Team, CHiPs, Star Wars, Saved by the Bell, The Matrix--is this what we are?
Eurika! God is like the Fonze. Please.
And so, as I read from the Bible, the reel changes, God, the Isrealites, Jesus, they are projected onto the screen over top the pathetic images that have crept into my head--or burst through--over the last 25 years. How is the media mediating our conception of the creator? We are banished to the desert, a neon, vacum tube desert. Can we ever go back?
3 comments:
Smeagol and Abel. What an excellent parallel. Not something I really considered after exploring the Christian themes of the LOTR.
I'm intrigued by your unique interpretation of the bible. What you are doing, is something I want to do myself.
I've never read the bible cover to cover, and I really know that I should. I just have to figure out which version I should get. I'm more worried about closest translation, than I am "easy to read."
As far as relating biblical stories to modern stories, I see nothing wrong with it. Its all a way of your brain perceiving and visualizing what you are reading.
Doing that translation is just a way of paraphrasing what you are reading. It should increase the level of comprehension you have.
Besides, most stories somone can come accross now, can be related to a biblical story, shakespeare, or some other older story.
We are talking about hollywood in many cases, which isn't known for original material.
:-( No updates... Finals?
Post a Comment