{"id":979,"date":"2012-10-18T06:25:53","date_gmt":"2012-10-18T12:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/paperbacktheology\/?p=979"},"modified":"2012-10-18T06:25:53","modified_gmt":"2012-10-18T12:25:53","slug":"why-is-reading-the-bible-so-difficult-jovan-browns-excellent-allegory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/paperbacktheology\/2012\/10\/why-is-reading-the-bible-so-difficult-jovan-browns-excellent-allegory.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Reading the Bible So Difficult? Jovan Brown’s Excellent Allegory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Jovan Brown writes a blog I follow called Toward Fatherhood<\/a>. He has a brilliant short allegorical take called \u201cThe Seven Siblings\u201d on why it can be so hard for the church to read the scriptures, and why we\u2019ve struggled with it for so many years. If you don\u2019t try to make the story bear more weight than it\u2019s intended to bear (every metaphor breaks down at some point), it provides a great snapshot of why biblical interpretation has been so challenging. Here\u2019s an excerpt.<\/p>\n

SEVEN SIBLINGS<\/strong>
\nSeven Siblings received a letter from their Papa, a weathered and affectionate postcard from his long journey abroad.\u00a0My Dears,<\/em>\u00a0it began,<\/p>\n

\u2026How I\u2019ve missed you all! I\u2019ve been all over the world, but in every passing place, in every stranger\u2019s face, all I see is you. Are you getting along well? Showing each other kindness every day? And how about your mom? I simply worship your mother, kids; she is the best woman in the world, and the very air I breathe. Take care of her for me!<\/em><\/p>\n

Eat your vegetables, wash behind your ears, keep your shoes tied. I\u2019ll be back in no time at all! Meanwhile, my loves, remember that you are all mine, and all each others\u2019. You are one family; defend, serve, and love each other at all times.<\/em><\/p>\n

I love you each more than life itself.<\/em><\/p>\n

~ Your proud Papa<\/em><\/p>\n

The Kids looked up from the letter with tears in their eyes. What a father they had! Each beating heart was oh, so very much\u00a0his<\/em>\u00a0at that moment, overwhelmed by the love he evoked and expressed with just a brief missive.<\/p>\n

The Youngest turned and ran toward the kitchen. \u201cWhere are you going in such a hurry?\u201d asked the Eldest with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy said eat my vegetables,\u201d came the innocent reply, \u201cI\u2019m gonna go have some now!\u201d
\nHeheh. So cute, that one. Such love.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Middle children, never left in the shadows, were also consumed with their father\u2019s love and pride. They could almost\u00a0feel<\/em>\u00a0his huge arms encircling them again. They scampered off toward the woodshop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell what are you three up to?\u201d asked the Eldest, surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to build Mom a shrine!\u201d exclaimed the oldest Middle, \u201cPapa said to worship her, because she\u2019s like the air!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s what he\u2026\u201d but they were already out of earshot, tools in hand.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Well this is going oddly\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

And so it went: one child constantly washing his ears, another always keeping his shoes tied. The Youngest preached the virtue of going vegan; the Middles wondered why no one joined them at their nightly ceremonies to honor Mother. Frustrations grew into outright tension:<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, why would\u00a0anyone<\/em>\u00a0eat meat anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget meat \u2013 why are your shoes untied? Don\u2019t you believe Papa will be back\u00a0before we know it?<\/em>\u00a0You\u2019re not even ready!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh come on, don\u2019t you realize he mainly just wants us to\u00a0love<\/em>\u00a0each other?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah but that doesn\u2019t mean we can ignore his instructions!\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes got rolled and arms were crossed. The longer they disagreed, the more they kept to themselves, hidden away in their chosen rooms \u2013 the kitchen, the woodshop, the coat room, the bathroom. All they talked about, to themselves or anyone who would listen, was their favorite part of the letter, and why it trumped all the other parts, and why Papa would be most proud of them when he came back.<\/p>\n

Soon enough\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can read the rest of the story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jovan Brown writes a blog I follow called Toward Fatherhood. He has a brilliant short allegorical take called \u201cThe Seven Siblings\u201d on why it can be so hard for the church to read the scriptures, and why we\u2019ve struggled with it for so many years. If you don\u2019t try to make the story bear more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1118,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[25,122,119,121,120],"class_list":["post-979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bible","tag-hermeneutics","tag-jovan-brown","tag-seven-siblings","tag-toward-fatherhood"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Is Reading the Bible So Difficult? Jovan Brown's Excellent Allegory<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jovan Brown writes a blog I follow called Toward Fatherhood. 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