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May 14, 2006
Thoughts on Mother's Day
In one of Loren Fisher's novels, Keziah, the wife of David's uncle, a scribe at the Jerusalem Academy, is also an author. She is compiling The Minority Report from which the title of the novel comes. The Minority Report is an accounting of minority traditions to which she and her husband adhere even though most of the people around them follow other traditions.
Under the heading "the Word of God" she records a poem which Ahban gave to her father,
To the ancients, came God's word
In the present, there is no word.
Yes, He spoke to Samuel,
But then only a few words,
And to King Saul, not a word.
Later in the same entry, she tells of a journey that Ahban took to Egypt.
Ahban said, "Though I did not know it, my father died a few weeks after I left for Egypt. During my stay in Egypt, I encountered many problems, but I knew what to do. Why? Because I had my father's blessing, and I knew he cared for us, for his fields, and for others. He was no longer alive, but I did not need a new word."
She reflects on Ahban's poem and his account of his time in Egypt,
Humans have always wished for a clear word; many have claimed it. For us it is more important and interesting to attempt the creation of a better future. True, our world is not perfect and suffering is all around us, but it is our home. According to our story of the first human, we are here to guard it and care for it. That is the word we hold dear.
As I thought about the minority tradition that Keziah recounts, I could not help thinking of my own situation.
Since both my parents died quite a few years ago, my father long before my mother, I have trouble distinguishing clearly what I learned from each. However, it is in large part their blessing that continues to provide me with direction. Not everything they taught me was correct, at times they lost their own way in this life, but that basic direction and the desire to create a still better future is a part of me. Next time you hear pious claims about the word of God, think first of the word of your parents.
Posted by DuaneSmith at May 14, 2006 09:04 AM | Read more on Odds and Ends |
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