Psalms and Paul

That's NOT alliteration, year 8.

In other news:

the Psalms are alternatingly tedious and gripping. I am a bit ho-hum about the big sections where people talk in very general terms about their problems (people... David?) and I feel that there is surely rather a lot of contextual information that I'm lacking with the details that the actual text gives me (e.g "to be played to the lute", or similar. What?). However, every now and then someone (are they all by David? I should check) writes this heart-wrenchingly sad Psalm, and I always like the sad ones, which makes me so in awe of the idea that I am reading this ancient text, and that somebody, so long ago, experience great suffering, which I can empathise with today.

On the other hand, I've often felt rather sheepish feeling the pain reading those Psalms, because my problems are rather feeble by comparison. I wish I didn't have to do so much work. I wish I had more money. Not the valley of the shadow of death, so much. And the experiences of pain seem to be much less justified than mine, most of which can be linked squarely back to something I've deserved or chosen. So I find that a bit... frustrating? Disappointing? Something like that. Because I still feel my pain! Anyway, the Psalms have their moments.

Digression: I know I'd get more from this if I did some research. But I am currently so incredibly far behind on my readings, that I have had to just lower my expectations enormously. I was fretting about being 5 days behind, but a few months in, I'm about 25 days behind. It happened disturbingly easily, and gradually. So I'm all about making it low key, and looking things up when I feel I have the time and inclination, rather than making the whole thing more difficult and obstacle-laden. I'm still quite proud of what I've achieved, and I am reading more Bible. So net result: positive.

Paul (in Acts) is just about a million times easier to read than the Psalms, and evidently (actually this is really obvious) the OT is way longer than the newer, so my OT readings are always heaps longer too. Paul is currently being heaps heroic, and very impressive. Actually, it's really quite interesting to see how he exploits his background as a Roman and Pharisee, and after reading 10 language analysis essays, it's interesting to note how he opens his comments to Agrippa (the King) with some flattery and recognition of social niceties, even as he is in chains and has been in jail for 2 years. I went to a lecture about the idea of 'just war' recently (ad bellium? I think?) and the speaker traced the concept back to Roman times and the conversion of a King (can't remember, undeterred) and the apparently Christian notion that since they were winning wars, the wars must be supported by God. And so they came up with this framework for a Just War. It was really interesting, and hearing a leader in the Gulf War apply some of those principles to the behaviour he expected of his troops in that war was quite inspiring. Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be the digression. But it was interesting to re-read this because the political component to Paul's progress was really striking. The Roman Empire was an incredible thing.

On that note, I'm going to have dinner.