Letters

 On Thursday we talked about letters or Epistles, and how they are found in the New Testament. we talked about how more or less, they are textual documents with no literary value, but depending on who is reading them or how they are being observed, they have sacred value, and literary value. Then we got into some deeper meanings for the written word. we discussed how the written word is a record of a moment that happened in history. they become reminders of our history, and history in general. they show of human development and of human struggles over thousands of years. letters, or the written word are products of endless development and innovation, and in that sense they are to be looked at as textual artifacts. then something was said that caught me attention, Jesus himself did not even lift a finger to write, there is not history of him writing anything (except in the sand as seen by witnesses).   Jesus didn’t publish a thing, people wrote of his teachings. We must have respect for the written word and all that is possesses, and that is what the Bible stands for, respect. Jesus's teachings were written down, thus saving them from extinction and preserving them in history. This resonated with me in an unsettling way. we are taught we need to respect the written word, not just of God but in general. Yet, the written word is dying out. We no longer write love letters to our truly beloveds, no we simply call them or email them, which yes is written, but not in the same sense I am ranting about. the idea of simplicity. writing someone a letter and receiving one in return. I mean lets face it, whenever we get a card in the mail or something written by a friend or lover, our hearts skip a beat, and a huge smile crosses our faces. this form of the written word is much more intimate than a computerized email, someone took the time to "scribe" out a message to us, which means so much more. we no longer write to people to tell them of our affections and or intentions, no. We simply text it, or facebook it. So my question is, how are we supposed to respect something that is dying out, something that will soon be extinct and that days of the written word (by hand) will be beyond the boundaries of our imaginations? 

  Respect for the written word, that is what the bible is, respect. Written it down means you are saving it from extinction.