Full disclosure – I have never been a fan of Vacation Bible School. I love the interactive nature and the creativity, but I have found that, too often, they drastically change the message of the Bible to support their own theological or political views. For example: some years ago I was sitting in one of those sales pitch gatherings with a couple of hundred clergy and lay people as each company came up and did their dog and pony show. They were all so cheerful as they told us why their week-long program would bring more children to know Jesus than all the others. These programs, if you bought all the bells and whistles, could be quite expensive, but aren’t our children worth it, they asked with all the sincerity of a TV preacher.
These VBS programs focus on stories from the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, and while some of these stories have value, many aren’t often in line with the message of hope and courage, and justice that I seek in Christian Education. One of those stories is about Rahab, who was a prostitute. Her story is told in Joshua; she was a Gentile who assisted the Israelites in capturing Jericho. Some historians believed that she also owned an inn, or a brothel, depending on the translation. Her valiant assistance evolved into a story of faithfulness that is recounted in James and Hebrews. She was also, according to the Gospel of Matthew, an ancestor of Jesus.
This particular VBS program chose to tone down the whole prostitute angle and focus on her as an innkeeper. It chose to paint her as a “good” innkeeper, as opposed to the “bad” innkeeper who allegedly turned Mary and Joseph away in their time of need (booo!). Meanwhile, Jesus got accused of being a drunkard and a glutton who spent way too much time with sinners, including prostitutes (sorry – innkeepers?). By changing Rahab’s status, the entire story changes. I actually don’t think we should be teaching children about prostitutes when they are young, so I think that the inclusion of this story is inappropriate. The question, however, still remains; why do we keep lying to children (and adults, for that matter) instead of engaging with Scripture and struggling with its challenges?
This is where we fail; instead of using the Bible to grow and be challenged in our faith, we either paint it as inerrant (so nobody can question it or think) or we ignore it, turning it into an archaic and meaningless collection of opinions. I believe there is a place in the middle; I think we can take the Bible seriously without going to either extreme. Let’s stop teaching our people about simplistic mythology, like Noah’s Ark and the Garden of Eden, and consider how people just like us overcame hurdles and achieved amazing things out of faithfulness and God’s encouragement. Let’s ask serious questions and admit that sometimes we just don’t know the answer. Let’s stop lying to ourselves and each other and allow our spirits and minds to go deeper. Our congregations would be far healthier if we told the truth. It seems obvious that what we’ve been doing isn’t working. Maybe trying honesty would make better sense.
Prayer – You, O God, are our rock and our foundation, and we thank You for the words people wrote to tell Your story, as insufficient as that often were. May we engage our hearts, minds, and souls in taking You seriously. Amen.
Today’s art is “Rahab” by Felice Tafuri.