Hearing

We have heard with our ears. Ps. 44:1 NIV

Whether its Victorious G.O.D or Notorious B.I.G that rocks our boat – music is a gift to the senses. Having had my taste buds affected by medication over several months, that made even ackee and salt fish taste unpleasant, I was grateful that my hearing was not so affected beyond an occasional tinnitus. As long as I can hear base beats, a slight ringing in my ears is bearable. Having watched the biographies of 50 Cent in Get Rich or Die Trying on TV and Christopher Wallace aka Biggy Smalls on a rented DVD, all in the space of a week, I am truly hip hopped. Now with the premature demise of an even greater living legend, my beat has appropriately changed. This doesn’t indicate fickleness but an appreciation of a variety of musical beats. A certain adaptability is necessary in this century and an openness to appreciate different rhythms I hope is part of inclusivity. During the week, a national daily newspaper published the preliminary findings of a survey into the levels of biblical knowledge among the British population. It reported:

The public is widely ignorant of the stories and people who provide the basis of Christianity, a survey has found, despite 75 per cent of respondents owning a copy of the Bible. The National Biblical Literacy Survey found that as few as 10 per cent of people understood the main characters in the Bible and their relevance. Figures such as Abraham and Joseph were a source of puzzlement and it was rare to find anyone who could name the Ten Commandments. Many stories considered to be central to the Christian message were a mystery to most. As few as 7 per cent of respondents knew the story of Whitsun and only 15 per cent were familiar with the stories associated with Advent…Researchers found that 57 per cent of people knew nothing about Joseph or his brothers despite the hit musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and 60 per cent were ignorant of the story of the Good Samaritan. The Reverend…said the consequences of ignorance went far beyond being unclear about what church leaders might preach. He said a good grounding in the stories and characters of the Bible was essential to understanding history and culture because so much of art, music and literature was bound up with religious themes.

The last sentence was a reminder of why some see the King James Version of the Bible, in particular, as a cultural artefact of colonial Britain and I wondered whose culture and history, the Reverend was referring too. I was also reminded of a series of attitudinal surveys in 2006, undertaken by a Jamaican national newspaper on the island’s religious beliefs and practices. The survey found that 65% believed the Bible (invariably the KJV) must be taken literally. It quoted an ethics theologian as saying;

There is a deep lack of understanding of the nature of scripture and how it is read and interpreted (in Jamaica). Therefore, when someone says the Bible is to be taken literally, it implies ignorance. Generally speaking, the Bible is not a history book, it is not a book of science…You do not read a piece of poetry the same way you read a newspaper report…Most of our preachers suffer from a lack of understanding of the scriptures and it continues in a tradition. There is a certain level of immaturity in faith that (the literal belief) does not effectively address.

In a vocation where professional supervision may be lacking and accountability structures may also appear vague, I value these verses ascribed to the Apostle Peter.

I warn and counsel the elders among you, the pastors and spiritual guides of the church, as a fellow elder… Tend, nurture, guard, guide, and fold, the flock of God that is your responsibility, not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonourably motivated by the advantages and profits, belonging to the office, but eagerly and cheerfully; Not domineering as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons over those in your charge, but being examples, patterns and models of Christian living, to the flock - the congregation. 1 Peter 5:1-3. Amplified

Embedded within this code of practice is a commitment to teach a Scripture that liberates and empowers as anything less short changes the Gospel of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit continue to provide leadership that listens to your quest for spiritual understanding and growth.

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