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Christian Community Bible, Claretian Publications, Quezon City,Phils,
1997.
One might wonder from this recommendation for a new "annotated Bible."
I freely confess that I haven't read altogether very many verses, nor
checked through the multiple footnotes. But I feel rather like an early
prospector. I have found a few nuggets and some gold flakes in the stream
and I am ready to declare that there is " gold in them that hills."
The Christian Community Bible deserves a thorough search for the valuable.
This bible came to me through an ad inserted in Context. One can maybe
assume the approval of Martin Marty. So I ordered the book. I was not
disappointed.
After using the Bible for a different reading of the texts for preaching,
I found this translation to have a vitality and a passion that one should
find in the living Word of God. For example, where the NRSV has "eat"
in Jeremiah 15:16, this new Christian Community Bible uses the word "devoured
your words…" The contrast in 2 Corinthians 13:11, I found to
be equally striking: "Finally, brothers and sisters, strive to be
perfect, have courage, be of one mind and live in peace." Compare
that with the one you are using now.
Why would "passion" be important in the biblical translation
used by the preacher? While we use reasoned and intelligent speech, aren't
we really aiming at the heart of the hearer? This past year I fell into
a deep depression, requiring hospitalization. When I returned to the pulpit
on Easter, one of my parishioners made the following remark: "Pastor,
you didn't have a breakdown, you had a breakthrough. This morning you
were speaking to our hearts." I've never had a better compliment.
The Christian Community Bible begins with all the passion possible. The
first words of the introduction are these: "You have opened the Bible:
look for Christ." We could paraphrase that into a slogan for all
Christian Preachers: "We are opening the Word of God to you, listen
for Christ."
When we truly know God as our Father, we are allowed to be truly human.
But we are not allowed to be small! Fr. Bernardo Hurault uses an economy
of words, but handles them like a wise rabbi or a cousin of Viktor Frankl
and his "logo-therapy." An example from the rather refreshingly
brief Introduction.To those who wish to be either on one side or the other
of the "Creation/Evolution" question, Fr. Bernardo writes "A
lot would have to explained about materialistic theories and those chance
accidents which allegedly, one day, cause a race of male and female monkeys
to engender some great musicians and quite a few pretty girls. Many generations
as well as many links and many humble ancestors were necessary whom God
may have already known and loved as he loves us. The model and the goal,
however, were already there before them, and that was Christ." The
middle ground is often holy ground. At least you don't get stuck on one
of the horns of the dilemma.
I have already pointed out the economy with which Fr. Bernardo writes
(not forgetting those other secondary writers) but we also want to note
how pithy some of the comments are. I almost hear the commentator say,
"Get real, folks." Here is a line or two from the introduction
to the book of Jonah: "Few people today misunderstand the nature
of this story. The two questions often raised about in the past are no
longer heard: Did Jonah really exists? Did he really stay in the belly
of a fish for three days?"
From the little I've seen, I would say there is a good balance in the
use of gender language. But even here we can find some surprises. In the
footnote to the Judah and Tamar story in Genesis 38, we come across this
sort of core belief: "It is rare for women to figure in the Bible,
but when they do appear, it is often to give men a lesson in being a human."
Makes me think it is time to re-read the Biblical stories once again.
The Christian Community Bible is granted the "Imprimatur" by
the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines. This does not mean
that the footnotes are weighted fully in the Roman Catholic direction.
There are certainly some in house sayings. But we also find this in footnote
to Nehemiah 8: "However, now the Christian faith can only become
strong through the word of God read and heard in the community. Indeed
we are behind time: this renewal should have started four centuries ago
when the Protestantism began."
You can readily see from what has already been stated that such wit and
wisdom will be very useful in the pulpit, in the communication of the
Word. But this gift does come easily. We find the following comment on
St. Paul's admonition to Timothy, "Devote yourself to reading…":
"The 'pastors,' clergy and lay, are constantly tempted in thinking
such and such an activity is pastorally useful, that leisure is 'relaxing'
even at the cost of postponing study and meditation on the Word. The Church
is always lacking people able to express their faith creatively - a gift
that springs from spiritual knowledge and habitual contact with the Word
of God: smiles, goodwill and psychology cannot replace this charism."
The foregoing is a taste of what is good in this festive meal. You will
also find an "Index of the Gospel" listing the key words and
concepts and showing where they might be found in four parallel columns
with verses listed under each of the four Gospels. A twenty pages summary
of "Biblical Teaching" may be of most help to a beginning student
of the scripture. I was also favorably impressed with the woodcut-like
drawings at the head of each book.
The preachers and others may be put off by the placement of the Book of
Psalms at the end of the Old Testament. The rationale that Luke list the
order of the revelation of Jesus as in the "Law, the Prophets, and
the Psalms" probably does not outweigh the overwhelming history of
the more traditional placement of the hymnbook of the Bible. I like the
feel of this book in the palm of my hand, but my eyes are getting older
and I wish the print are larger. It is my contention that the preacher
will find herself going back to this book time and again looking for just
that Biblical word which will accomplish the passion of preaching. To
settle for less is like trying to ride a horse with a saddle, but no bridle.
You can sit well, but you can't direct the course where you need to go.
And the people in the pew need to know the passion with which we preach.
Claretian Publications has given a great gift to the Church in the printing
of the new Christian Community Bible. Take and read. You will be blessed
and angered and sobered and refreshed, and you might wind up being "full
of joy" (Jeremiah 15:16).
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