What is the Bible for? - Reform Magazine

To linger in the mind
These words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart

and pass down the generations
You shall teach them diligently to your children

Howls of pain
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

and murmurings of sweet nothings
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate

Unanswerable questions
Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul?

and mysterious replies
I am who I am

The sacred
The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle

and the profane
Both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father

The extraordinary
Before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal

and the mundane
A sower went out to sow

Promises of freedom
And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground

and betrayals into slavery
They drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ish’maelites for 20 shekels of silver…

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This is an extract from the December 2013/January 2014 edition of Reform.