Readers of the Bible have wrestled with the narrative of the flood for centuries. How do we approach a text that portrays a God who does such things? What deeper understanding can we see in the symbolism of the story that doesn't require us to view God as vengeful and angry? In attempting to answer this question, a pattern of order, disorder, non-order, and reorder emerges. How does the text of the narratives of Noah and the Tower of Babel reveal an evolving understanding of God and humanity's relationship with the Divine?
Shiloh and Ben continue the discussion of Jesus Christ's visit to the Americas. It is incredible how naturally flowing the events of these chapters are, as one moment gives desire and experience for the next natural moment. Jesus Christ perceives that the people are "weak" and that they would not be able to "understand all of my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time" (3 Ne 17:2). The people are told to go to their homes to ponder on the Beatitudes and the Sermon at the Temple that He just gave them, but then, instead of leaving them, He leads them through one experience after another. First, He heals their sick; Second, He gathers and blesses their children; Third, He gives meaning to and offers the sacrament; Finally, he gives instructions on how to unify the people under His name. The pattern here is profound. As the Christ Archetype makes its appearance in Chapter 11, He then identifies the entirety of the gospel and what it means to be "Christ" within the Beatitudes, shows what a Beatitude-type person is throughout the rest of the Sermon at the Temple, and then, instead of just leaving the people to their own thoughts, he leads them through multiple experiences that allow them to actually participate in what it means to take upon ourselves the name of "Christ." Chapter 19 concludes with the newly chosen Disciples of Christ instituting the same sacrament, as Jesus Christ reappears and we then are shown several examples of the power of prayerful contemplation with the divine. Jesus Christ walked the path with them at every step ...
The Book of Psalms: Part 2 ...
In approaching Genesis 3-4 and Moses 4-5, Ben and Christopher continue their discussion of these creation and fall accounts as temple texts. We are to consider ourselves as Adam and Eve, recognizing our life in their experience in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are created as ontological equals, as priest and priestess in the presence of God. What is a serpent doing in the Garden and why do our narratives equate the serpent with Satan? What can we learn from the differences between how Adam and Eve converse with God versus how Cain converses with God? ...
