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Joe Laur, John Dominic Crossan, myth, todays rabbi, truth, wisdom
“My point, once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.”
–John Dominic Crossan
“Aw, that’s just a myth!” People often exclaim something along those lines when they want to debunk a story that’s being touted as true. The dictionary defines myth as “1. a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events; 2. a widely held but false belief or idea.” So myths are linked to traditions of peoples, and are also held to be “false”, i.e. not factual.
But are myths really false? Many people consider our great spiritual texts; like the Torah, the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, to be taken literally as the Word of G!D. Others consider them nothing more than fairy tales, comforting myths. But beyond these opposite poles is another way.
I propose that myths are sagas that contain those great truths too large to be contained by mere facts or history. Deeply resonant teachings, stories that build meaning, moral lessons, too powerful, universal and True in the most profound sense, to be limited to any one place or time. So when people ask me if I believe the Bible is true, I tell them, “Yes, I think it’s profoundly true. But I never take it literally.”
Any text that is referred to as the Living Word of the Divine could never be limited to one interpretation, one place, one time. That’s what makes it alive- continuous growth, change, and adaptation to the current environment. One story from Sinai is that the Voice of the One spoke to all the people assembled as individuals, and all heard and understood the teachings in their own way that was most meaningful and best for them. It’s not one size fits all. As one of my mentors used to say, “Stay close to those seeing the truth. And far away for anyone who’s found it!”
What profound truths can you discover in your spiritual myths today?
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John Dominic Crossan (born February 17, 1934) is an Irish-American New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, and former Catholic priest who has produced both scholarly and popular works. His research has focused on the historical Jesus, on the anthropology of the Ancient Mediterranean and New Testament worlds and on the application of postmodern hermeneutical approaches to the Bible.
Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.
So often in our lives we try to emulate others, to be more like someone we look up to or admire, a sports hero, public figure, rock star or historical giant. Reb Zusha’s story suggests that that’s the wrong approach. While we can admire qualities in others, he teaches we should try to be ourselves. We are, each of us, unique, irreplaceable, one of a kind. As Oscar Wilde famously said: “Be yourself, darling. Everyone else is already taken!”
Today's Rabbi 