How does your brain work? Some people seem to have similar brain patterns and thoughts that are easily shared. I have found that to be true with a few friends and even some of my past professors. We just seem to be on the same wave length. It can be encouraging and a bit eerie from time to time. Approaching forty-one years of marriage, Debbie and I know each other pretty well. However, we do not think the same. I do share similar brain patterns with two of my daughters, which may not be all that beneficial for them as my brain seems to ponder things that most people never think about. Today's post holds no deep theological thoughts. Instead it holds some random things that entered my mind and bounced around just for fun. I have no real reason for sharing them other than it seems life is to be enjoyed. If God designed me this way perhaps He intended me to plague others with some occasional cerebral anomalies. If you are looking for some deep spiritual truth or an interesting thought from Scripture you will have to wait for the next post. If you are daring you can read on. So welcome to my world, as bizarre as it may be.
In reading the account of Moses in Exodus I was struck by the record of Moses absorbing the Shekinah glory of Yahweh. He had to wear a veil so he did not scare the rest of the Israelites. My questions are, "Did his wife need him sleep in another tent so she could get some sleep?" "Did she ever use Moses' face as a lamp so she could see to sew or find something?" "Did she tell him not to slip in to say good night to his sons so he would not wake them or freak them out with his shining face?" I asked these questions of my church family and found I was alone in even thinking such thoughts. Have these questions ever occurred to you or am I really out here by myself?
I have read more commentaries and books on theology than I can count. The truth is I continually add to the collection partly for sermon research and partly because I enjoy the stuff. I have found that many theological writers are unnecessarily technical. It seems they are either trying to impress you with their vocabulary or obscure the fact that their argument is pretty weak. Sometimes they analyze and make connections that border on fantasy. So, another random thought that wondered into my brain is, "How do theologians handle things like nursery rhymes?" Do they just automatically follow the same mindset as they recite these little children's verses to their own children? Would the result be something like this?
Okay, Adam, you pick out the book for bed time. Ahh, "Favorite Nursery Rhymes", a good choice. We begin with a review of the entire text of the first rhyme. "Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon. the little dog laughed to see such a sport and the dish ran away with the spoon." "Hey" is likely an imperative; thus we can conclude that this is a command or an intense call to pay attention to what is to follow. The "diddle, diddle" may be a scribal error or a reduplication for emphasis. The real question is, "what is a diddle". From the context it likely refers to common people. Diddle could be a variation of little, meaning small or insignificant. The "cat and the fiddle" is a candid reference to Nero, the evil Caesar who persecuted Christians. This reveals that "diddles" is a code word for believers at this time of great trial. The "cow jumped over the moon" represents the rise in the cost of dairy products, meaning the high cost of the common necessities of life. The "little dog laughed" is an illusion to Gentiles who did not believe; they laugh at the plight of the Christians and followers of Yahweh. "Sport" refers to the horrible games at the Roman Coliseum where gladiators fought to the death and Christians were fed to the lions. Finally, "the dish ran away with the spoon" highlights the empty dishes and spoons caused by the famine back in the first century. So many empty plates and spoons compelled people to flee Rome just to find food to eat. Adam, we can be glad we don't live in such times. The times of the early church were filled with oppression and violence. Well, the next rhyme is about babies being cast to their death from the tops of trees. Perhaps it would be best to skip that one for now. In fact it is time to sleep, so sleep tight, don't let those bed bugs bite. Hmm, I wonder what the significance and the underlying meaning is for the bedbugs? I will have to give that some thought. Good night, Adam.
There are so many more we could analyze but, by now, you may be wondering a bit about my synaptic processes. Perhaps, I should find other things to think about when I am stuck in traffic or mowing the lawn. These mental exercises may actually be as warped as my thoughts on Christmas songs. Then again, this is how the good Lord wired me, so how bad can it be?
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