Hindsight, biblical and otherwise

By BERNADETTE BONANNO- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Whenever I hear or see something that does not ring true, I recall my dad saying, "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see."

Being somewhat passive, I've had a natural aversion to his advice, because it puts the responsibility on me to invest time and formulate my own opinion instead of adopting the one presented to me.

About 40 years ago, my wonderful grandfather passed away. He was one of those guys who was liked by everyone. He enjoyed his faith, family, rye whiskey, carpentry, humor, music and flowers.

When he died, I thought he was beloved because he often helped people. But now, so many years later, I realize that everybody loved Grandpa because, despite being as imperfect as the next guy, Grandpa was at peace. He simply liked himself, and this attracted people.

Hindsight is powerful. It reveals what initially we do not see.

Today, events are recorded minute by minute in optical, digital, audio and video forms. We're accustomed to this precise level of documentation.

In speaking with young people who are skeptical of the validity of Scripture, they recall that most biblical events weren't recorded until many years after they took place. For example, depending on what source you read, the Gospels were written somewhere between 66 and 110 AD. If Jesus died somewhere around 33 AD, that means the information was passed on by oral tradition for many years before being drafted.

We all know how facts are distorted while passing from one mouth to another. Therefore, the skepticism is easily understood. Yet, hindsight may have been necessary in order to contribute to the divine wisdom found in Scripture, because anyone who studies it knows there is no way these writings are merely the work of human beings.

At times, I've fallen into the verbal trap of justifying the credibility of the Bible, and found myself ineffectively blabbering. Afterward, I shake my head and wonder, "Why do I attempt to explain the verbally inexplicable?"

About 23 years ago, I attended a two-hour lecture on the miracles of Jesus by a professor at a local college. The audience was captivated by his knowledge and engaging personality.

An hour into his presentation, he asked us to consider a symbolic interpretation of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, rather than the literal version of multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed thousands of people with some left over.

He proposed, "What if the crowd was spiritually fed by Jesus and abundantly satisfied to the overflow?"

A man in the room bolted out of his chair. With arms crossed, he hollered at the speaker, "That is blasphemy!" Grabbing his coat, he furiously marched out of the auditorium.

I couldn't understand his objection to this interpretation. I found it eye-opening. What was once isolated and literal became lifelong and spiritual.

If we want to know the truth, regardless of the topic, we'll have to stop believing everything we hear, and also scrutinize what we see. We'll need to invest time and endeavor to seek the truth.

It's either commentary from the sidelines or getting in the game and finding out for ourselves.

(Mrs. Bonanno attends St. Mary's parish in Albany. She can be reached at [email protected].)[[In-content Ad]]