What if a major disaster destroyed the major holy books of the earth? What would survivors remember to write down again? Odds are, they’d recall bits they thought validated their lifestyle and beliefs, if they still cared. In his book JESUS BEFORE THE GOSPELS, historian Bart D. Ehrman notes that the stories of the gospels survived as oral tradition for varied periods of time that extended beyond eyewitness accounts. Citizens were illiterate. Only a special few had the means to record the tales. He reminds us that as people tell and retell a story, the story morphs a little each time—unintentionally, colored to be more dramatic, perhaps, or a better illustration of the teller’s philosophies. The gospel writers felt a deep responsibility to represent their beliefs. Most of the alterations aren’t meant to distort the original history, although some tellers feel justified in reinterpreting what’s remembered. Some invented new exciting events to glorify their hero, placing him in a brighter, more impressive light so his story wouldn’t accidentally fade away.
At last, the story belongs to the tellers as it’s set into versions that no longer match because the words emphasize the lessons the particular religious authorities want to convey. Surely, even today the faithful aren’t erudite enough to be able to interpret the past so they don’t miss the differences between alternative religions. Sorting…that’s a big order. Religions must be sorted to divide the followers so their contrasts are easy to see. We can’t worry about everyone. Everyone doesn’t belong in the group. We should shun those who don’t fit.
Many authors have asked what would happen if a religious figure such as Jesus Christ were to walk the streets today. Considering his birthplace, would he have dark skin? Would people recognize him without the halo? Would they listen to his speeches with the rapt attention reported in the Bible? Surely he wouldn’t ask the same requirements as those reported as his by the gospels. Someone must have misquoted him. He might rile up the masses, create protests. Would he end up in jail as a political prisoner again—perhaps destined to be executed? Times have changed. Would he still be a Jew?
As our different peoples celebrate or ignore holy days, we may be more worried about our gifts, parties, and decorations than whether we’re strictly adhering to the admonitions of the ancient leaders. A quick donation to this or that nonprofit is meant to fulfill our generosity requirements for the year. We aren’t made of money. Giving up money is an act of love, isn’t it?
In truth, we have too much information about too many people today. We can’t care ALL THE TIME; it’s exhausting. Given the needy masses and greedy power-mongers, what can we do but surrender to depression? Are we truly charged with making our own small difference, creating our own corner of kindness? When we study the behaviors of other mammals left to their own devices, we see traces of the community we started out to establish. What if more of us were deadly serious about following the dictates of our original mentor—at least attending to a Golden Rule on a personal scale? Would the world change? Not everyone changed the first time. What would our top priority need to be? Just wondering.
