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<span class="yiv7082464049mcnPreviewText" style="display:none;font-size:0px;line-height:0px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;overflow:hidden;visibility:hidden;">Water’s presence in our
reality is a precious, life-giving mystery.</span>
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"> <a title="" class="yiv7082464049" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=9bc638af8d&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <img width="559" align="middle" class="yiv7082464049mcnImage" style="
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Water</h1>
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"> <a title="" class="yiv7082464049" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=e852099bdd&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <img width="250" align="middle" class="yiv7082464049mcnImage" style="
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line-height:150%;text-align:left;"> <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Essay by
Toni Reynolds<br>
October 17, 2019</span></span>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
padding:0;
color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">In
the beginning, when God
created the heavens and
the earth, we’re told that
nothing existed except
darkness and Water. As
soon as God swept over the
face of the deep, sound
was used to command the
emergence of light. From
that moment forward a
dance with Water
proceeded, yielding all
the elements of life we
now know and struggle to
appreciate. It wasn’t
until recently that I read
this creation account and
heard so clearly the voice
of Water. Everything that
God called forth comes
from the Water, everything
we know in our world today
was created except for
Water, it was already
here. Even among
scientists there is
continued debate about
where Water came from, how
it got here. No matter the
angle, Water’s presence in
our reality is a precious,
life-giving mystery.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<a style="font-family:georgia, times, new serif;
font-size:14px;
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=f75881d6d2&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Woman Stands
Shining</a><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">,
also known as Pat McCabe,
is a Diné/Navajo and
Lakota activist, artist,
and ceremonial leader. She
reminds us that all the
Water that has ever
existed on earth, is still
here. The closed network
of our atmosphere has kept
the Water used in ritual
by our ancestors in close
connection to us. Imagine,
for just a moment, that
this account of God
sweeping over the Water to
bring forth life is true.
It would mean that the
very voice of the Creator
is still alive in the
water we use and abuse
with our individual and
collective habits. If that
creation account doesn’t
work for you, imagine your
own ancestors. Peoples who
drank, sang, bathed,
blessed, sailed, were
displaced, simply lived
-they </span></font><em style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;font-size:14px;">all </em><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">had
access to the same water
as you.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">This
stirs something deep in my
soul. To recognize the
intimate connection with
voices, stories, and songs
from a time so long ago
that I cannot even fathom
the era. Even to think
about the Water present
for the ancestors of my
own lineages - those
stolen and first tortured
on the waves between
Africa and the Americas.
The rivers used for
cleansing, childbirth,
baptism, and initiation...
it sweeps me to a state of
sheer bewilderment. How
such a connection could be
possible leaves me
searching for healthier
ways to be a part of this
creation that has held so
many human lives and
stories.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">In
a similar vein as the
offerings from Woman
Stands Shining, </span></font><a style="font-family:georgia, times, new serif;
font-size:14px;
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=89e3c8dc8a&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Masaru Emoto</a><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">
has left us with profound
understandings of our
creative connection to
Water. Dr. Emoto’s Water
study has reached
worldwide recognition as
it demonstrated the impact
of positive, negative, and
indifferent attention. It
is a scientific way, to
understand how our words
help to create the world
around us, Dr. Emoto’s
study leaves me thinking
about how Water responded
when it first heard God’s
loving, creative voice.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">I
currently live near
Newark, NJ. Recently I was
in a neighboring city with
my partner when we saw a
flyer posted in city hall.
It was information about
an upcoming water drive.
Thinking of the need to
use an entire day to
collect potable bottled
water for residents of
Newark, NJ angered me.
Here there are whispers of
Newark entering a water
crisis equal to that of
Flint, MI. Still, I wasn’t
ready to accept how
serious the water crisis
is here in my area. It was
troubling to see this
flier. Poisonous water is
such a deep disrespect of
the world we have
inherited, not only
because it jeopardizes
life for all living
creatures, but also
because most every major
tradition of the world has
so clearly stated how
deeply tied to the Creator
is our Water. It feels
like we are disrespecting
a loving parent. We are
certainly missing the
mark.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">As
the Water crisis in my own
neighborhood begins to
mirror the Water crisis of
cities around the world I
begin to feel overwhelmed.
Though my current
spiritual life has taken
me out of traditionally
Christian practices, I
can’t help but think about
the presence of Water in
the Christian traditions.
Not only in scripture,
just at the beginning of
Genesis, but all
throughout the Bible.
Water parting in Exodus,
Jesus baptized in River
Jordan, Jonah in the whale
in the sea, Jesus turning
Water to wine, I’m sure
you can think of others
yourself. Water is
everywhere. Even in the </span></font><em style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;font-size:14px;">Teaching of
the Twelve </em><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">(or
sometimes known as the </span></font><em style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;font-size:14px;">Didache</em><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">)
are instructions about how
disciples are to perform
baptisms when Water is too
scarce to use. That’s how
central to the Christian
practice Water was -</span><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"> </span></font><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">it was
central to the twelve-step
manual for disciples</span><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">. </span><span style="font-size:14px;">I
wonder what would happen
if we began to nurture a
close relationship to the
building blocks of life,
central to so many
traditions and all of life
as we know it.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">My
attempt here is to call
attention to the ways our
daily lives remain
disconnected from the
electric and vibrant
reality of the elements
that make up our world. To
cultivate an acute
awareness of the life that
teems around us while our
intellect, electronics,
and logic tempt us into
thinking that the world is
dead and only available to
use for convenience. I
wish to encourage small
habits, ritual, and focus
that can be integrated
into daily life, and
ideally encourage you to
participate in communal
acts of gratitude and
recognition of the
elements.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">Personally,
I am implementing a small
practice of action in my
daily life. Rather than
remain in my head about
these issues I am seeking
for embodied, practical,
life-affirming ways to
demonstrate my faith and
gratitude for this world
we’ve been given. It would
be easy to write for days
about why we should be
more careful of our water,
both practically and
spiritually. Regardless of
levels of comfort to the
Bible, it seems to me that
each of us is responsible
for having a personal
connection with the things
we rely on for life. So,
let’s explore that.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">When
someone brings your food
to your table, you say
thank you. If someone
holds the door open for
you as you enter a
building, you say thank
you. When Water stretches
from the earth to your
faucet, what do you say? I
realize that talking about
Water this way can cause a
feeling of strangeness.
Talking to creation is
left for hippies, people
who we perceive to have
lost their minds, and
prophets of times
long-past. I think we can
begin to normalize this
idea of connecting with
nature in our own moment
of time. This way, we will
know we’ve done our part
to keep the Creator-made
world healthy and
available to all. In order
to encourage repairing and
establishing a connection
with Water, I’m offering
the suggestions below.
They come from my own
spiritual practice and
participation in rituals
with the traditions of
beloved spiritual
teachers, close friends,
and family. They are, at
least, versions of
practices I have seen done
by priests, monks,
shamans, and healers. </span></font><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">They are
available to you even if
you do not identify as a
priestess, monk, pastor,
or shaman. I hope you will
consider implementing at
least one as a way of
doing your part to support
the elements we depend on
as well as to connect with
the Divine Source.</span></span><br>
<br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">On
the next rainfall place a
small cup of Water on a
windowsill until it is
full. When it has gathered
enough rain speak a prayer
of gratitude into the
glass. Give the Water to
the plants in your home,
inviting the wisdom of the
sky and water to dwell in
your inner world. Another
option is to take that
same blessed Water to the
nearest park or outdoor
space, even the front of
the place where you live
will suffice. Give the
Water back to the ground,
river, or lake, asking for
your blessings to be
carried as deep, far, and
wide as is possible. Your
song will seamlessly join
with those of every person
who’s ever prayed,
creating connection where
there has been fracture,
healing where there has
been wound, and vision
where there has been
destructive void.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">If
you are in a place where
rain does not frequently
fall, implementing a small
version of Dr. Emoto’s
experiment remains a
powerful option. Simply
write a word, the name of
someone you deeply love,
someone to whom you aspire
to be like, or a prayer of
affirmation. Place the
prayer under your
container of drinking
Water. Recite the word,
name, or prayer before
drinking. I love the power
of three, so I recite the
intention three times
before drinking the water.
However frequently you
wish, allow your voice to
be as the Creator’s
speaking life over the
Water.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">To
honor the Water inside and
outside of you, find a
local river clean up
project. Volunteer your
time to the Water nearest
to you. Check with </span></font><a style="font-family:georgia, times, new serif;
font-size:14px;
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=ad2592b314&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">American Rivers</a><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> to
see if they work in your
area, and when they can
use your help. Generally,
this is a wonderful
resource to learn more
about Water, how our
global systems are
affecting it, and what you
can do to shift things.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">There
is no limitation to ways
you can be in touch with
Water. The more you learn
about it, the more
inspired you will become
to create rituals that
send your gratitude to
Water. If nothing else, do
what you can to become
more mindful of the state
of Water right now. You
can always learn more
about </span></font><a style="font-family:georgia, times, new serif;
font-size:14px;
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=675dd7b361&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Woman Stands
Shining</a><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">.
Further investigate the
legacy of </span></font><a style="font-family:georgia, times, new serif;
font-size:14px;
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=7b61052c2e&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Masaru Emoto</a><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">.
Seek ways to support other
</span></font><a style="font-family:georgia, times, new serif;
font-size:14px;
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=f9a291b0b1&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Water Defenders</a><font face="georgia, times, times
new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">
around the world, simply
type the words, or a
variation of, into your
preferred search engine
and learn of ways to
connect with people
repairing the human
relationship to Water
around the world.</span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></font><br>
<font face="georgia, times,
times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;">Please
enjoy every precious bit
of water you get to
experience, and be
grateful for every drop of
it.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
padding:0;
color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">~ Toni
Reynolds</span></span></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
padding:0;
color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><br>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Read
online <a style="
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=a4bd670b2d&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a><br>
<br>
<strong>About the Author</strong><br>
Minister Toni Anne
Reynolds is committed to
singing flesh onto the
bones of the Christian
tradition by incorporating
recently found texts of
the ancient world into
liturgy, sermons, and
poetry. Toni’s
Christianity forms a holy
trinity with the
psychological medicine of
Tibetan Buddhism and the
eternal Life found in
Yoruba traditions.
Balanced in an eclectic
faith and focused in
theology, Toni’s ministry
offers a unique
perspective on life,
theology, and
spirituality.</span></span><br>
</div>
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<h1 style="
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font-style:normal;
font-weight:bold;
line-height:125%;
letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Question
& Answer</span></h1>
<h3 style="
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font-family:Helvetica;
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<div style="margin:10px 0;
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color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"><strong><span style="font-size:18px;">Q: By
A Reader</span></strong><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>How
should I respond if my
young children take the
stories of the Bible
literally when I don’t
believe in a literal
reading?</em></span></span></div>
<h3 style="
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<span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"><strong><span style="font-size:18px;">A:
By Cindy Wang Brandt</span></strong></span></h3>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
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color:#202020;
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line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><a style="
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text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=38bcc07bd0&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img width="150" height="101" align="left" style="border:0px;
width:150px;
min-height:101px;margin:0px 10px 0px 0px;
outline:none;
text-decoration:none;
" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/b51b9cf441b059bb232418480/images/d51153f9-e458-4f5c-9ec5-f89686eec1d8.png"></a></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
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color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Dear
Reader,</span></span></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
padding:0;
color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Similar
to the way you respond to
children who believe in
the myth of Santa and
tooth fairies. <br>
<br>
As a family, you can
choose to not participate
in those particular myths
at all, and from the get
go, prioritize telling
your children this isn’t
real, these stories never
happened, but you can
enjoy them as fictional
accounts that lots of
people in the world have
fun imagining. Perhaps
this works for you, but to
me, it feels like it robs
children of a season of
whimsy and delight.<br>
<br>
Or, you could fully
immerse yourself in their
world of imaginary
thinking, and pretend with
them it’s all real. Bake
Santa cookies and tell
stories of the elf’s
adventures in the night.
Although with this route,
at some point when they
outgrow their
developmental stage of
fantasy, you’ll have to
contend with your white
lies, as benign and
well-intentioned they may
be; and some children may
not take well to this,
breaching your trust with
them.<br>
<br>
I think the best of both
worlds is to affirm their
imagination, honoring
their brain development,
and scaffold their
understanding for more
nuanced criticism as they
grow into mature cognitive
processes. <br>
<br>
It is possible to affirm
their steadfast literal
belief in stories while
not necessarily endorsing
their views. Validate
their enthusiasm with
open-ended questions,
like, “Wow, you think
that’s how it happened?
How would you feel if you
were Jonah in the belly of
a big fish?” Entertain
their imagination, not in
a condescending way, but
to participate in their
mental world with
empathy. <br>
<br>
When they begin asking
direct questions like,
“Mommy, did the fish
REALLY swallow Jonah?”
That’s a sign they are
starting to mature and
test the boundaries of
fact or fiction. This
would be a good time to
scaffold our
responses—challenging them
to a higher-level of
thinking without
overwhelming them. Follow
your child’s lead and
interest to investigate
with them how marine
animals consume their
food, whether humans can
survive in the belly of
animals. Let them connect
the dots because there may
still be a phase where
they can hold both facts
and fiction in tandem. And
of course, as they grow
into even higher maturity
in teen years and beyond,
you can engage in deeper
discussions of how ancient
mythologies came to be,
and offer your personal
beliefs in how you hold
biblical stories as
valuable (or not) in your
own life. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
padding:0;
color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">~ Cindy
Wang Brandt<br>
<br>
Read and share online <a style="
color:#007C89;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;" href="https://ProgressiveChristianity.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=f018309138&e=edb736c2ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a><br>
<br>
<strong>About the Author</strong><br>
Cindy Wang Brandt is a
progressive Christian
writer, but she has not
always identified as
progressive. In fact, she
grew up conservative
evangelical and was a
career missionary for 5
and a half years. Cindy's
experienced a radical
faith shift and writes
often about how that
shapes who she is today.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
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color:#202020;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Along the
way, she became a parent.
Trying to navigate
parenting when your faith
has and is evolving has
been complicated—but
nobody ever said parenting
is easy. However, she is
convinced that one of the
best ways we can make an
impact in the world is to
invest in the slow, unseen
labor of cultivating
values of hospitality,
creativity, equality,
social justice, and deep
spirituality in the next
generation.</span></span></div>
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<h1 style="
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John Shelby Spong
Revisited</span></span></h1>
<h3 style="
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<span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">The
Origins of the Bible, Part
V:<br>
The Elohist Document</span></span></h3>
<br>
<span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size:14px;">Essay
by Bishop John Shelby Spong<br>
April 23, 2008</span></span><br>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
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line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;"><img width="125" height="132" align="left" style="
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" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/b51b9cf441b059bb232418480/images/84fbd945-363f-48e0-97f1-129010755fed.jpg"></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;font-size:14px;">Most people
do not seem to realize that
events in what we call the
secular world of history
shaped so much of the
writing of the biblical
story. When I get to the
formation of the gospels in
this series, it will become
obvious that the Jewish war
with Rome that began in 66
CE in Galilee and ended in
73 CE in Masada shaped the
content of all four gospels
in a dramatic way. In 70 CE,
in the midst of that war,
the city of Rome fell and
the Jewish nation for all
practical purposes
disappeared from the maps of
the world until it was
restored in 1948 under the
plan that had been set out
in the Balfour Declaration
of 1917. To read the gospels
with no sense of the
historical context in which
they were written leads to
dramatically ill-informed
understandings. Not only did
the cataclysmic effects of
this war shape the
apocalyptic “end of the
world” chapters in Mark,
Matthew and Luke, but I
would argue that the story
of Jesus” transfiguration
makes no sense unless the
reader is aware that the
Temple in Jerusalem has
already been destroyed. This
is one of the ways that we
are able to date the gospels
so accurately.</span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">Likewise,
in Jewish history a
wrenching and datable
split in the nation of the
Jews was responsible for
the development of the
second strain of written
material that would
someday constitute the
Torah. This split was
basically between the
Joseph tribes in the north
that came to be called the
Northern Kingdom of Israel
and the powerful southern
tribe of Judah, from whom
the north chose to
separate itself around the
year 920 B.C.E.<br>
<br>
This Jewish division,
however, had its roots in
a far more ancient time.
Some scholars even suggest
that the escaping slave
people from Egypt, about
whom the book of Exodus
writes so lavishly, were
not all of the Jewish
people, but perhaps only
those who would later be
called the Joseph tribes.
Certainly Joseph is the
central figure, according
to the biblical narrative,
in the settlement of the
Jews in Egypt. At the time
of their escape the
narrative tells us that
life in Egypt had
degenerated for the Jews
because a Pharaoh arose in
Egypt “who knew not
Joseph.” Joseph, according
to the Hebrew memory that
stretched back some 400
years according to the
book of Exodus, had risen
to power in Egypt,
achieving a position in
the land second only to
that of the Pharaoh. The
Torah said that Joseph had
done this through his
prescience and foresight
that enabled him to build
up the food supply in time
of plenty and then to
administer it in time of
famine. This allowed the
Egyptian nation to survive
hard times. When the Jews
made their exit from
Egypt, the book of Exodus
informs us the Jews took
with them the bones of
Joseph so he could be
buried in the soil of his
former home. Joseph was a
figure clearly identified
with the Jewish slave
people who came out of
Egypt.<br>
<br>
More Semitic people than
just the fleeing slaves,
however, were included in
the Jewish nation and
clearly made up the
conquering army that
overran the Canaanites. In
defense of this historical
reconstruction of the
conquest of Canaan under
Joshua, these same
scholars see evidence in
the Torah itself, that
during the wilderness
years the escaping slaves
came together with other
nomadic Semites in an
oasis named Kadesh to form
a common cause. Their
common ethnic kinship was
recognized, as was their
common heritage.
Eventually they formed a
political alliance and
began to think of
themselves as a single
united people, but
organized in a loose
confederation. Even their
folklore made it clear
that while they recognized
their kinship, there was
always a distinct
difference between the two
groups. This split was
accounted for in the
biblical story by
suggesting that their
father Jacob has actually
had two wives. Leah, the
first one, was the mother
of Judah, whose
descendants formed the
tribe that settled the
South. Rachel, the second
wife, was the mother of
Joseph, whose descendants
settled the North. There
were of course other
tribes, indeed twelve it
was said, but they tended
to be satellites of the
two major tribes. The
Northern Kingdom was later
called the “Ten Tribes,”
while the tiny tribe of
Benjamin tended to be
associated with Judah as
the remaining two. They
were more an alliance than
a unified people. The
biblical book of Judges
described this phase of
Jewish history. Survival
in that day, however,
required them to become a
strong and unified nation.
The way to reach that goal
was to have a king.<br>
<br>
The first king of the
unified nation was Saul,
who was a member of the
tribe of Benjamin. Saul
was not, however, able to
bring about the needed
unity or to pass the
throne on to his son. The
second king was Saul’s
military captain, David, a
member of the dominant
tribe of Judah. About
Judah’s power the Joseph
tribes of the North were
already apprehensive.
David, with both military
and political skill,
unified the country and
reigned for 40 years,
passing on the throne to
his son Solomon who, in
turn, reigned for another
40 years. It was during
the reign of Solomon that
the first strand of the
Bible identified today as
the “Yahwist Document” was
created to tell the story
of the history of the
Jewish people. As we noted
in a former column in this
series the “Yahwist
Document” had a clear
political agenda. It
extolled the royal house
of David, the capital city
of Jerusalem and the
Temple in Jerusalem from
which the religious life
of the nation was
organized. The theme of
this writer was that each
of these centers of power
was an expression of the
will of God. To rebel
against the king, the high
priest or the city of
Jerusalem was to rebel
against God.<br>
<br>
Tensions, however, between
these two ancient Jewish
groups grew during the
reign of Solomon as the
people of the North felt
that they were over taxed
to provide the wealth of
the people of Jerusalem.
When Solomon died around
the year 920 BCE the
throne passed in an
orderly fashion to his
oldest son, Reheboam. The
people of the North,
however, were not ready to
pledge their allegiance to
Reheboam without some
changes and so, led by one
of their military generals
named Jereboam, a
delegation came to
Jerusalem to negotiate
their grievances with the
new king. Those
negotiations were not
successful and when they
collapsed the new, and
perhaps rash, young King
Reheboam decided that he
must put this rebellion
down with brute force. The
people of the North, led
by Jereboam, then
organized for resistance
and in the ensuing civil
war won their
independence. There were
now two Jewish states: The
Northern Kingdom that
would build its capital in
Samaria and the Southern
Kingdom with its capital
in Jerusalem.<br>
<br>
The only written narrative
that either group
possessed at this time was
the Yahwist document that
was so pro the
institutions of the South
that it would hardly do
for the rebellious tribes
of the North. That version
implied that the Northern
Jews had violated God’s
chosen House of David,
God’s dwelling place in
the holy city of Jerusalem
and God’s chosen high
priest. It condemned all
that they stood for and it
did so in the name of God,
so the Jews of the North
began to feel a need to
create a new version of
the sacred history of the
Jewish people. Once again
a court historian was
appointed, but now by the
king of the Northern
Kingdom, to write this
story. The result was a
second version of Jewish
sacred history.<br>
<br>
There were many
differences between the
two documents. This writer
called God by an earlier
Canaanite name El or
Elohim, so his work became
known as the “Elohist
Document.” For the Elohist
writer Joseph, not David,
was the hero. We see that
idea develop in the story
about Joseph being the
favorite son of Jacob, his
father. That is also why
Joseph was said to have
received the coat of many
colors. Rachel, Joseph’s
mother, was portrayed by
this writer as Jacob’s
favorite wife, while Leah,
Rachel’s older sister and
the mother of Judah, was
pictured as having “eyes
like a cow” and was
actually thrust on Jacob
by their scheming father,
Laban. This “E” document
also portrayed Judah as
the evil brother who sold
Joseph into slavery. He
de-emphasized Jerusalem,
relativized the Temple and
reopened and re-sanctified
the ancient shrines in the
north. Finally the divine
right of kings was
dismissed by this writer,
who claimed that the king
was not chosen by God to
rule the people, but was
elected by the people and
was, therefore, subject to
the will of the people. If
the king violated his
trust, the people were
competent to remove him.
This was the claim that
solidified the rightness
of their rebellion against
King Reheboam. While these
differences were sharp,
many of the stories in the
two histories were
nonetheless quite similar.
By around 850 BCE the
Elohist narrative appears
to have been substantially
complete. Now there were
two Jewish nations, two
kings, two worship centers
and two sacred stories
that were read in worship
and each was called “The
Word of God.” The two
Jewish nations fought each
other in numerous
indecisive wars and formed
competing alliances with
foreign powers, frequently
on opposite sides. When
Assyria became the major
Middle Eastern power, the
Northern Kingdom joined
Syria in armed resistance,
while the Kingdom of Judah
formed an alliance with
Assyria and accepted
vassal status.<br>
<br>
In 721 BCE the Assyrians
conquered the Northern
Kingdom and exiled most of
its people to lands under
their control. Then they
imported peoples to
repopulate the land that
had been the Northern
Kingdom. In time these
foreigners intermarried
with the remaining Jews
and their descendants
became known as the
half-breed Samaritans.
After this defeat,
however, some unknown
person managed to escape
to the South and brought
with him or her a copy of
the Elohist document. Over
the years in Jerusalem the
two sacred stories were
merged. The dominant
Yahwist version was given
priority, but the Elohist
story and the point of
view of the lost Northern
kingdom succeeded in being
intertwined with it. By
the turn of the century,
certainly before 690 BCE,
the sacred story of the
Jews had become the
Yahwist-Elohist version.
The scriptures of the Jews
were growing. There would
be more changes and
transitions to come, but
this was stage two in the
development of the Torah.
Stage three will be
discussed when this series
continues.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin:10px 0;
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font-family:Helvetica;
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line-height:150%;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:georgia, times, times new roman, serif;">~ John
Shelby Spong</span></span></div>
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