Collision of word and world

I’ve always been a bit taken by this Barbara Brown Taylor quote: “The whole purpose of the Bible, it seems to me, is to convince people to set the written word down in order to become living words in the world for God’s sake. For me, this willing conversion of ink back to blood is the full substance of faith.” I don’t know about whole purpose or full substance, but I like thinking about the connection between ink and blood, between wisdom from the past and action in the present.

We have several new pieces that help explore these dynamics. Jost Zetzsche considers the ways that languages and translations complicate the concept of something being “in the Bible.” Brett Robinson, in an interview with senior editor Jessica Mesman, shares that many people who say they’ve encountered a UFO describe religious experiences—ones that the Christian faith is primed to explore. Peter Choi reflects on how the Koren concept of han—and Walter Brueggemann’s work on the Psalms—has changed his view of revival-focused “mountaintop faith.”

There’s even more great content below. Our video of the week, featuring Julie Faith Parker, considers the (nonbinary) nature of gender in the book of Genesis. Plus scroll down for a report on entrepreneurial investments from dying churches, an essay about why Southern Baptists wield so much influence, a poem about an existential crisis at a hotel buffet, and more.

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What do we mean when we say something is “in the Bible”?

A new database of more than 900 biblical translations presents a prism of cultures, languages, and meanings.

by Jost Zetzsche

When religion joins the UFO conversation

“If you talk to someone who had a UFO experience, they’ll often describe beings of light and a kind of spiritual awakening that occurs after the encounter. Their perceptual lens has shifted. That got me really interested in asking, What would this mean for people who are already religious believers?”

Jessica Mesman interviews Brett Robinson

VIDEO: Gender is not binary in the book of Genesis

Julie Faith Parker chats with Jon about merisms, Hebrew words, and eunuchs in the Bible.

In the Lectionary for June 29 (Ordinary 13C)

Following Jesus is not something to do later.

My new understanding of mountaintop faith

“At the heart of Korean Christianity’s intense preoccupation with spiritual kindling, I realized, was not merely an inordinate passion for revival, but a pathos rooted in the struggle for survival.”

by Peter Choi

Churches are closing. What should they do with their assets?

“Amy Butler spent two years building the infrastructure for Invested Faith—assembling a board, launching a website, and gathering supporters. The concept was simple: Invested Faith would receive donations, largely from dying churches, providing what Butler calls ‘a hopeful way to invest in their future’ by supporting social entrepreneurs who are working for systemic change.”

by Martin B. Copenhaver

Why does the Southern Baptist Convention wield so much political influence?

“They are the voices of a slim minority who realize they are wildly out of step with the rest of the country, and who, because of a resurgence of conservative power, feel emboldened to be as loud as they can.”

by Brandon Ambrosino

Parable in Which No One Else in the Super 8 Breakfast Lounge Thinks About How This Hotel Might Outlive Us

“Maybe the flatbed driver shrinking into the folds
of her sweatshirt is only thinking about salting
her hard-boiled egg. …”

poem by Sarah Carson