Happy New
Year! I wasn't planning on writing this week, but I had a bit of time and
thought I'd write something before I get off the grid for awhile. I've been
doing some thinking lately about the concept of the truth of Scripture and how
best to approach that topic. As I mentioned last week, there is a difference
between Truth and fact, particularly when it comes to the Bible. This can be a
tricky concept for our post-modern, western minds to wrap around. In fact, many
of the questions I receive about the Scriptures directly or indirectly pertain
to this topic. In light of this, I couldn't help but muse about literature in
general, and specifically (because I was watching some of the movies over the
holidays) the Harry Potter novels. Given
this theme, today's post probably won't be the most scholarly, but that's also
because I didn't have time to do a lot of research through commentaries and textbooks
either. But why not start off the new year with a lighter fare anyway?
Whenever we think about something we
know to be true, we usually think of that which can be measured and proven. For
example, we know it's true that the earth revolves around the sun. We can
observe that, measure it, and prove it scientifically. But other kinds of truth
cannot be measured. I believe it is true
that every single human person has innate dignity. Yet we can't measure this,
and we can't prove it, because dignity is not something we can necessarily
observe and evaluate with our five senses. Likewise, things such as goodness,
love, beauty, suffering, evil, and salvation, are not quantifiable, but that
doesn't mean we deny their existence. God himself is not measurable (or
gendered, so forgive my use of the masculine pronoun), and frankly, I wouldn't
want much to do with a god who could be scientifically proven anyway. That is where
faith steps in, because ultimately it takes a leap of faith to have belief in and
a relationship with some reality that is so beyond conclusive evidence.
All of these kinds of realities – God,
love, goodness, evil, suffering, etc. – are mysteries, which isn't to say they
are mysteriously unknowable but that they are infinitely knowable. We can never exhaust our exploration and
knowledge of mysteries and the ultimate truths of the universe. No matter how
much we come to discover about them we will always find ourselves digging for
more. (For the record, I cannot take credit for the concept that a mystery is something that is infinitely
knowable. I heard it at a retreat from a woman who was quoting a deceased friar,
Howard Hansen, and I don't know whether it was original to him or if he got it
from somewhere else. Either way, he made an excellent point.)
Now, just because God and love, and
goodness, and suffering, and all the like are not measurable, provable
categories, that does not mean that they aren't communicated and revealed to
us. Love is not something we can look at under a microscope, but we can
experience physical signs and manifestations of love: a warm embrace, a kiss,
generous giving, actions of self-sacrifice. Similarly, the word of God in
Scripture – and ultimately the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ – makes known to us
the mystery of who God is. Just as an aside, this is also the way sacraments
function. They are visible signs that
point to and make manifest God's invisible
grace. Even beyond the seven sacraments of the Church there are many other
ways in which we experience God's grace in signs and symbols. But I digress. The
point is that mysteries may not be quantifiable, yet even still, we can never exhaust our
knowledge of them. Furthermore, they are revealed to us, communicated in signs,
deeds, the person of Jesus Christ, Sacred Scripture and even literature, art,
and music... but today we're just going to focus on literature.
I've heard from friars and
professors alike that the quickest way to the truth is through a story.
Obviously this does not refer to the
kind of stories your children might tell you in order to cover up the truth,
because the only thing those stories are the quickest way to is a time-out...
or a wooden spoon... or more chores. (I don't know; I clearly don't parent
children). Regardless, this is a motto I can enthusiastically get behind,
because I love a good story. I have a mild – though some might say exorbitant – obsession with Sondheim & Lapine's Into
the Woods (the play, not the movie). I even wrote my term paper in moral
theology on this show, and with that being said, I could go on and on about the
musical. Instead, I'll just reference one of the more poignant lines sung by the
Witch in the Finale: "Careful the tale
you tell," she cautions the audience, "that is the spell." And ain't that the truth!
Fairytales, fables, myths, parables,
and all other kinds of stories are our teachers, and so we should be careful of
the stories we tell. Hopefully the stories we hear as children or as adults teach
us truth and not lies, for the latter can have disastrous effects! Where would
we be, though, without the wisdom of stories? Little Red Ridinghood teaches us
not to talk to strangers, and the Three Little Pigs urges us to make practical,
well-thought-out decisions. Many of the Greek myths have so artfully depicted
the realities of the human condition that we still make allusions to them in
our everyday lives (Achilles' heel, Sisyphus' boulder, Cupid's arrow, Pandora's
box, etc.). And frequently, Greek mythology warns us against a critical human
weakness: arrogance (or hubris). Jesus himself used stories, and his parables
reveal to us the mysteries of the Kingdom, of God's love, justice, and mercy,
and how we are to relate with one another as human beings. All of these
examples are merely stories, but they are
more than mere fiction. They cannot easily be cast aside as irrelevant
simply because they are not grounded in historical or scientific fact... which
finally brings me to Harry Potter.
As I said, over the holidays I was
watching some of the movies because they were on television... and because Harry Potter is awesome. Point blank. If
you are ever looking for a contemporary example of literature that is imbued
with the kind of truth that I'm referring to – the truth that has to do with
the mystery of love and suffering and of goodness and death (maybe not about
God though) – then look no further than Harry
Potter. I could have suggested The Lord
of the Rings or The Chronicles of
Narnia, I suppose, since they are more explicitly Christian in origin and
influence, but I have not read those books (though I highly recommend them).
Either way, Truth is not bound by those things which are directly connected
with the Judeo-Christian tradition, which means it can even be found within
other religious beliefs. After all, as stated in the Vatican II document, Nostra Aetate "the Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and
holy in these religions," including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism,
etc. (Nostra Aetate, paragraph 2).
Now obviously, Harry Potter is not a religion (according to most people), and it
is not my intention to put the kind of truth that can be gleaned from its
voluminous pages on par with the truth and goodness found in our world's
religions. All I'm trying to illustrate is that the Truth, the wisdom of God,
has a way of being conveyed in and through mediums that are both secular and
religious and in cultures and religions that may or may not be directly
associated with the Judeo-Christian tradition. The fullness of Truth might not exist within them, but we can still
learn something valuable from the arts, and other religions and cultures. Okay,
off my soapbox. Now back to Harry Potter.
As I was watching bits from films
Six and Seven (parts I & II), I couldn't help but think of a few themes
that certainly harmonize with some of the truths I have come to understand
through the Scriptures. If you haven't read the books or at the very least seen
the movies, I am very sorry. No. Siriusly, my heart aches for you, and be
warned that I'll be throwing out spoilers. If you have, then you might agree
with me when I say that J.K. Rowling definitely has her finger on the pulse of some
universal truths. Take for instance the message we get from Lilly Potter's
self-sacrificing love for her son. Because of her love, Harry is saved, and the
forces of evil are defeated. I'm not saying that Lilly Potter is a metaphor for
Jesus. I'm not even suggesting that J.K. Rowling was influenced by the Gospel
tradition. All I'm saying is that the message we get from Rowling's masterful
story-telling taps into a universal truth about the power of love, especially
self-sacrificing love. It just so happens that this Truth is divinely revealed
to us in Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the Incarnate Word
of God, "the way, the truth, and
the life" (John 14:6). We also know from Scripture that even among the
three theological virtues (faith, hope, and love) that "the greatest of these is love" (1
Corinthians 13:13). For a great explanation of love, by the way, read all of 1
Corinthians 13.
Another example of the utterance of
Truth in the Harry Potter series is
in the way Rowling approaches death in these novels. The villain, Voldemort, has
this inordinate fear of death – so much so that he literally tears apart his
soul in order to avoid it. Harry, on the other hand, eventually comes to
embrace death, and in doing so, is able to defeat his enemy. It's a hard pill
to swallow – this notion of life through the willing acceptance of death – because
I know that many of us prefer not to think of death too much, but Rowling is on
to something, something I know to be True because of the Good News that is
Jesus Christ. In accepting death Christ has conquered the grave and has given
us new life. "He humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly
exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name..."
(Philippians 2:8-9). The whole mystery of Christ's death and resurrection has a
proper name in the Christian tradition, by the way. It is called the Paschal Mystery,
and it is that mystery which permeates the whole of the Christian life,
celebration, and story. It is not the theme of today's posts, and no length of
writing or depth of contemplation will ever fully plumb the depths of its ineffable
profundity, but I will say this: the paschal mystery changes everything. More about that in another
post, I hope.
Again, I'm not saying Harry Potter
is a metaphor for Jesus or that Rowling intentionally wrote Harry's character
to reflect the Paschal Mystery. Many differences appear between the two anyway.
However, I think that the message of life through death, of victory through
dying, is transcendent. It is obviously part of the Gospel message because it
is of the wisdom of God, and God reveals this to us in Jesus and in the sacred
texts. But because it is so transcendent and because the Holy Spirit is so
irrepressible, this kind of Truth just naturally spills out into the universe –
in literature, music, art, culture, and religions of all kinds.
Interestingly enough, J.K. Rowling
even includes in her seventh Harry Potter
novel an original, wizarding fairytale that articulates this very theme of
embracing death. If you recall from Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hermione reads "The Tale of the Three Brothers." You can click on the title yourself to hear Emma Watson as
Hermione read the whole story with graceful and haunting narration, but note
the very last line: "He then greeted
death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, departing this life as equals."
I love what Rowling does here for two reasons. 1.) It reflects a truth that, as
we can see, is found within the biblical and Christian spiritual tradition. St.
Francis of Assisi, for example, embraced death as a "sister" at the end
of his life as depicted in his Canticle
of the Creatures. And 2.) Rowling has demonstrated the power of myth and
storytelling through the brilliant literary device of a story-within-a-story.
Even her fictional characters come to a deeper appreciation of the mystery of
death by means of what? A fairytale.
And so I return to my point. This is
one of the things I mean when I say that the Scriptures are concerned with the
Truth, though not necessarily with historical or scientific fact. Its concern,
rather, is the truth about those things which cannot be measured, those moral
wisdoms, those mysteries that are infinitely knowable yet never fully known (at least not in this life): God,
love, goodness, suffering, mercy, death, evil, salvation, sin, justice,
resurrection, the Paschal Mystery, etc. I use literature as an example because
what we find in things like fairytales, myths, fables, and, yes, even Harry Potter are narratives that speak
the truth even though they are completely fictional. I don't know whether or
not J.K. Rowling purposefully intended for her story to have such Christ-like
themes. Personally, I'm hoping that she did not intend it, for that just goes
to show that there is a universality to the Christian message of love,
self-sacrifice, and life through death. It demonstrates my point that Truth and
the wisdom of God is transcendent and will find a way to speak to us. In my
opinion, western society simply needs to recover an appreciation for narrative,
mythology, symbols, and poetry in order to perceive the truth that is in its
midst.
In drawing upon stories, like Harry Potter, I'm not trying to say that
the Bible is pure fiction. But the Bible is
literature – albeit, sacred literature , some of which is even rooted in
history. I am also not insinuating that just because different kinds of
literary works can bear witness to the truth of various mysteries of life that
Sacred Scripture should therefore be ignored or dismissed. That would be
absurd. Sacred Scripture reveals the Truth of the mystery of God. It is God's
self-revelation. The Church holds both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition as
a source of revealed truth, as the Vatican II document on Divine Revelation
says, they "together form a single deposit of the Word of God" (Dei Verbum, paragraph 10). The fullness
of Truth and God's self-communication, I believe, can be found within these means, though perhaps not exhausted by them. Even Scripture and Tradition
are mediated by human language, and the mystery of God inevitably exceeds even
that and will ultimately leave us speechless. Nevertheless, Sacred Scripture remains
for us one of the ways in which God communicates God's self.
I hope that some of this helps as a
kind of introduction to interpreting the Bible. Humanity is inspired so much by
movies, books, songs and poetry and, through them, drawn deeper into the
mysteries of life. They touch our souls and tickle our brains, and sometimes
they even move us to tears. So it is with Scripture, only more so! For it isn't
just any narrative or poem or oracle that we encounter in these sacred texts,
but God's very self-revelation.
With regard to reading the Bible, I
quote Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr: "Read more poetry, literature, and
mythology, would be my advice. Then we can trust you with the
Scriptures..."[1]
His tone is a little demanding in my estimation, but he makes a valid point. We
should strive to seek the Truth where it can be found, for as surely as it is
there in Grimm's Fairytales, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Hafez, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens,
Gerard Manley Hopkins, Emily Dickinson, J.K. Rowling, Elizabeth Gilbert, and
countless others throughout history, it is there and infinitely more so in the Word
of God.
As far as scriptural recommendations
go this week, I suggest reading 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 2:5-11, which were mentioned previously, but also find one of Jesus' parables and read
that too if you have some time. Luke 10:25-37 (the good Samaritan), Luke 16:19-31 (Lazarus and the rich man), and Luke 15:11-32 (the prodigal son) are
all good options. In whatever parable you read, ask yourself what God is saying
to you. What truth about God's kingdom do you hear reflected in the story? How
does it apply to your life? What challenges you? What gives you joy? What have
you learned about love, mercy, justice, goodness?
The next entry might take some extra
time for me to post, as I will be traveling this week. In the meantime, however, I
would like to draw your attention to the right side bar in which there are
links to the Vatican II documents on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) and on the Church's relation to religions other than Christianity
(Nostra Aetate). Both are valuable
documents, and I highly recommend those to you. There are also links to Bible Odyssey and Catholic Bible Student which are great resources for more
information about the Scriptures. And as always, I encourage questions and
comments via Facebook, e-mail, or this site here. And, if you haven't already done it, don't forget to subscribe by
typing your e-mail address in the "Follow the Codega" box.
Blessings to you in this new year!
Happy reading!
[1]
Richard Rohr, Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of
Assisi, (Cincinnati: Franciscan Media, 2014), 261.
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