Finding the Good in the Good Book

Introduction

Margaret: This summer our children are exploring the theme Finding the Good in the Good Book. They are exploring stories of the Bible — both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.

Michael: What do mean the Good Book? There isn’t just one “good book.” There are many.

Cathie: Why do UU kids need to study the Bible? I didn’t come to UUism so my kids could be indoctrinated and turned into fundamentalists.

Jodie: What possible relevance does the Bible have for UU’s?

Margaret: Wait, wait wait … Our goal isn’t too indoctrinate our children. It is to introduce them to these wonderful stories and finding meaning in them for today. If we don’t introduce our children to these stories, then we leave it up to others to tell our children what they mean. The Bible is one of our sources. Let me show you…

Jodi: I was at church this Sunday we heard the story of Creation. You know God made the whole world in 7 days. The whole thing in just 7 days! Of course then human beings messed it all up by disobeying God and they got kicked out of the garden.

Cathie: Really — the whole world in 7 days? I heard in school that it took a lot longer than that.

Jodi: Oh that’s just lies made up by people who don’t believe in God.

Cathie: really? So what did human beings do to mess things up?

Jodi: Well Eve the first woman is really to blame — she took the apple and ate it. Then God was so mad at them that they got thrown out of the garden and now have to work hard, and suffer.

Cathie: all for eating an apple?

Jodi: yep. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and they had to be punished. God will punish you and me too if we don’t do as He says.

Cathie: wow….

Margaret: Now let’s do this again, but this time after this outstanding summer RE program.

Cathie: You know we have been doing Bible stories this summer too. Did you know that there are 2 creation stories in the Bible?

Jodi: no there isn’t — there is only one.

Cathie: No we heard both on Sunday - one with the 7 days and one with the garden and Adam and Eve. We talked a lot about how the stories were told by people and passed on before they were ever written down. We talked about how the stories changed over time. We even got to make up our own creation story!

Jodi: I don’t believe you! My church says the Bible is the word of God!

Cathie: At my church we talked about how people wanted to understand how the world came to be, just like we do. They explained things through story.

Jodi: I don’t know about all that.

Margaret: So part of why we are studying the Bible is so that our children can hear what we as UU’s think about the Bible and how we use the Bible. Also these are stories that are rich in our culture. Just think about it - Harriet Tubman is called the Moses of her People — can you understand that if you don’t know who Moses is? What about the celebrations of holidays like Christmas, Hanaukah and Easter?

Michael: I guess your right. In books and movies they describe characters as “Christ-like.”

Jodi: Oh yeah or the symbol of the rainbow and the dove and olive branch from the Noah story.

Cathie: Or even the phrase the “patience of Job.”

Michael: Or the “Golden Rule”

David and Goliath

Margaret: So beyond our children knowing the stories and talking about them on the playground, how else might we look at these stories? Are they relevant to us today? Can our children use these stories to help them in their lives?

Michael: Once upon a time there was a family who had 8 girls. The youngest one named Dava. This family had just moved to a new town and started a new school. Everyone was having a hard time fitting in. The kids at the school, teased the new kids terribly — everything was wrong with them — how they looked, how they dressed, how they talked.

Cathie: You see those new kids. Look at them they don’t know how to dress. Listen to how they talk. They will never fit in here. Even their names are weird.

Michael: Everyday it was the same. All the kids were bothered by this but Dava really wanted to find a way to fit in. She started to ask around about she could do. She was really interested in the school play and auditions were just around the corner. Everyone thought this was a terrible idea, especially her older sister Earlene.

Jodi: What do you mean you are asking around about how to get involved? Are you seriously thinking about trying out for the play? Don’t you know only the popular kids get chosen for the play? Can’t you just keep your head down and stay out of their way. Don’t make this harder for the rest of us!
Michael: Dava’s family was Unitarian Universalist. They had belonged to a church in the old town and now they finally had time to check out the one here. It just so happened that the Religious Education program was focused on Bible stories. That week was the story of David and Goliath.

Margaret: David was the youngest son of Jesse and he had 8 brothers. His three oldest brothers were fighting in the war against the Philistines; 4 were home helping with the sheep and David was left to run errands. One day while David was delivering food to the Israelites, he heard about the challenge issued by Goliath, a giant Philistine who was greatly feared.

David asked what the person who slew Goliath would get. David’s oldest brother got mad at him for asking questions. He said to him, “Go back home and help with the sheep and the farming.”

King Saul heard about David and his questions and sent for him. David believed that God would protect him if he went into battle against Goliath as God had done when he battled the lion and bear who sought to kill his father’s sheep. He told the king: “God who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” King Saul gave David armor and a sword but David couldn’t move. He went into battle with his slingshot and 5 smooth stones.

Golialth couldn’t believe who came to face him in battle and he mocked the young David. Goliath said, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks? Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the wild animals of the field.”

David stood his ground and told Goliath, “God will save me,” and when Goliath charged him, David ran toward him, reached for a stone and put it in his slingshot and hit Goliath in the forehead. Goliath fell face down on the ground.

David went on to live with King Saul, married his daughter and eventually became one the most famous Kings of Israel.

Michael: Dava was really liked this story. It made her even more determined to try out for the play. So she practiced every day. Other kids had voice coaches and drama lessons, but she didn’t care. She read books about drama, she studied the play, memorized her lines. The day of the audition finally arrived. Dava was nervous but then she remembered how even though David was little he was able to slay the giant, Goliath. She sat in the auditorium and waited her turn. When they called her name, the other kids laughed and made fun.

Cathie: What does she think she is doing? There is no way she will ever get a part in our play. She doesn’t even talk right.

Michael: Dava however refused to listen to their taunts. She got up and performed as well as she could. She put all of herself into the role. When she finished her audition, there was a moment of silence and then everyone burst into applause. Clearly, her audition was the best one that day. Even the kids who had been mean to her, saw how good she was. Her family was so proud of her. She got the lead in the play and finally found a way to fit in.

The Teachings of Jesus

Margaret: For most Unitarian Universalists, Jesus was a great teacher whose moral example should be emulated. As we read the stories of Jesus’ teachings, how do we apply them to our lives? Are Jesus’ teachings any easier for us than they were for the Disciples?

Jodi: There were three boys who were very close friends. Their names were David, Chris and Steven. They played together all the time. They went to school together. They were inseparable. People called them the 3 musketeers. One day, all the boys were playing at David’s house. They loved to play superheroes and David had a great collection — Spiderman, Superman, Batman, the X-Men. Steven really liked David’s Spiderman figure — it could even shoot webs from the hands. Finally David’s mom said it was time to clean up. Steven really didn’t want to put down the Spiderman so when David wasn’t looking, he took it. Chris saw what he did. Steven saw that Chris had seen him take it.

Michael: Chris, don’t tell anyone. I just want to borrow it for awhile. He has all those other figures, he won’t miss Spiderman.

Cathie: I don’t know Steven, David really likes his action figures.

Michael: You better not tell or I won’t be your friend anymore.

Jodi: Chris didn’t know what to do. He knew it was wrong for Steven to take it but he didn’t want to lose his friend. Chris’ family were members at a really great UU church who just happened to be studying the Bible that summer. That Sunday they were learning about Jesus and what he taught.

Margaret: The core of Jesus’ ministry was his teaching. He traveled around Galilee teaching people about God and God’s love for each person. His teaching attracted many people.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak and taught them saying: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Many of the leaders were threatened by Jesus popularity. A lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher which commandment in the law is the greatest?” And Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jodi: Chris’ class spent a lot of time talking about the Golden Rule and the Great Commandment. How do you want to be treated the teacher would ask? Chris thought a lot about this. If he were David, what would he want Chris to do? Chris decided he really needed to talk to Steven.

Cathie: Steven, you need to give David back his toy and you need to tell him you took it and that you are sorry.

Michael: Why would I do that?

Cathie: Because it is the right thing to do. It is what you would want David to do if he had taken one of your toys. We need to treat each other the way we would want to be treated.

Michael: I guess your right but what if he gets really mad at me.

Cathie: He may get mad at you but it is still the right thing to do.

Michael: ok

Jodi: So Steven went to David to return the toy.

Michael: David I took your Spiderman the last time we all played together. I am really sorry and here I am giving it back.

Margaret: You took my Spiderman. How could you?

Michael: I know I shouldn’t have done it. I just think it is so cool. I am really sorry.

Margaret: Well I am glad you brought it back.

Michael: Can we still be friends?

Margaret: yeah we can still be friends.

Jodi: So David, Steven and Chris all kept being friends and playing with each other. When Steven’s birthday rolled around and he had a party with his friends, David gave Steven a Spiderman all his own.

Conclusion

Margaret: What wonderful stories. Filled with excitement and adventure, with joy and sorrow and many of the same dilemmas we face today. How many of us had brothers and sisters we didn’t get along with? How many people today are still in slavery waiting for a Moses to rise up and liberate them? How many of us wished we could have defeated the big bully? How many of us have refused to do something we knew we really needed to do and found ourselves stuck until we go and do it? How do we explain suffering — why do good people suffer? Do we treat others the way we wish to be treated? These stories aren’t just old tales but rather stories with timeless themes. We need to read them and struggle with them and find a meaning in them for us today. ♦