The contrast couldn't be greater. Our lectionary reading from Genesis 10:32-11:9 bypasses the genealogy of nations in chapter 10 and brings us to the construction at Babel. The reading from Isaiah 28:14-22 confronts us with God's building project. The two buildings are in the sharpest possible contrast - at least in biblical terms - but they also …
A Pleasant Vineyard?
I'd prefer not to bother with Noah and his sons in today's reading from Genesis 9:18-10:1. I'd rather leave Noah to his drunken nakedness and the racist curse he pronounces on Ham's son, Canaan. What's so terrible about Ham seeing his father drunk and naked? And why put the curse on Ham's son who had nothing to do …
A Rainbow for All
What a relief! The church lectionary skips about ten chapters in the Book of Isaiah and we jump today to chapter 25, a wonderful pause from God's apocalyptic threats. Here instead we find again the image of God as savior and provider for the poor and the suffering. It is the perfect companion to today's reading in Genesis …
Synthetic Lives
It is always amusing to watch the squabbles of pop stars and entertainment icons. The latest is the one between the pop singer Elton John and the fashion icons Dolce & Gabbana. Of course it's hypocritical of D&G to use words like 'synthetic' when everything they stand for is synthetic. High fashion is synthetic; the …
Apocalypse Again?
The reading from Genesis 8:4-21 brings to an end the narrative of the Flood and we hear God make a promise to Noah: Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his …
A Vocabulary for the Journey
Today's reading from Isaiah 11:10-12:2 skips the first half of chapter 11, which is rather strange. Perhaps because it's one of the readings of the Christmas Vespers? While the Flood narrative continues in Genesis, I'd like to focus on the whole of chapter 11 of Isaiah. The shoot from the root of Jesse has always …
Apocalypse Now!
The daily readings from Genesis this week, Monday-Friday, take us through a grindingly slow reading of the entire flood narrative (Genesis 6:9-8:22). I see no need to spend time on the separate daily readings from these chapters of Genesis this week. The story makes for expensive special effects in a lame Hollywood movie - though one must be fair and …
When times are critical
The primeval story reaches a cataclysmic climax. Genesis 5:32-6:8 introduces Noah in the midst of a world on the edge of apocalypse. And indeed the language is apocalyptic, straight out of a science-fiction movie. There are "sons of God" who seem to be angelic beings that come down to earth to take earthly women as …
Holy, Holy, Holy
Today I want to focus on the Isaiah reading, though Genesis will not be totally ignored. Isaiah 6:1-12 is the vision in the temple of God's holiness. It is an extraordinary passage. Ezekiel (chapter 1) was granted a vision of the glory of God that is much wilder and phantasmagorical than Isaiah's vision; but there too the voice …
East of Eden, Civilization Begins
Most mythological systems have some version of how crafts originated. Crafts and arts are essential to human identity, and so every attempt at history must account for the rise of human creativity. The Bible is no exception. In today's reading of Genesis 4:16-26 we have precisely that. We read of musicians, "all those who play …
Ancient Answers 