The old cliche is, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Some people bemoan this saying because they are bibliophiles, meaning that they love books. They will tell you that the book is always better than the movie, and quite often, they are right. Just as the character development in a book cannot always be echoed perfectly on a screen, there are visual images that are far more powerful than if they were simply described in words. The photo of a loved one who has passed on. The scene of a devastating terrorist attack. The tears streaming down the face of a woman who is separated from her child. The visual portion of our brain quickly processes images and connects them to our own experiences, which has an effect within us that is far more visceral, or embodied.
Knowing that pictures play such an important part in our lives today, i.e. social media, family photos, selfies, advertising, television, etc., we should pay close attention to them within our life of faith. When I say “Jonah,” do you think of verses and descriptions, or does an image of a large fish appear in your mind? When I say “Adam and Eve,” do two naked individuals wearing fig leaves appear in your mind? We connect many of our Biblical texts to images within our mind, some that are appropriate and others that might be dated and could use a refresh.
This past Sunday we looked at Psalm 23 and the metaphor of the Lord as our shepherd. Many people had an idea of what a shepherd is supposed to do, but that particular metaphor, written for a specific people in a specific time, did not resonate with suburban life in the 21st century. The challenge was raised to think about what powerful image, or metaphor, could be inserted into Psalm 23 to make it more relevant to us today, without changing the meaning behind the psalm. What image exemplifies the description of God that David gives in the psalm and how God relates to us?
Take a moment to reflect on Psalm 23 and try to rewrite it with an image that speaks directly to you. Then, if you are comfortable, take a moment to share a portion of it, or all of it, on your social media and the church’s Facebook page. If you are uncomfortable sharing it online, but want to share it with me, I would love to see your creativity; you can email it to me at:
Here are a couple of links to examples of how Psalm 23 has been rewritten: http://bit.ly/30ct4Zk, http://bit.ly/2JfTg09. As promised, here is a version of Psalm 23 that I wrote during my second semester at seminary:
The Lord is my spiritual Siri, she directs my every move.
She knows every moment of my life and reminds me of my commitments.
She organizes my chaos and color-codes away my anxiety.
When I am physically or mentally lost, she provides comfort through guidance.
When I am hangry (so hungry that I am angry), she provides me with places to eat.
Even though I try to live my life without her, I know I would never succeed on my own.
Despite my stubbornness, I know she will always know more about me than even I know, and I trust in that.
God Bless,
Pastor Corey