Epics of the Shepherd King

 

“Every sane sort of history must begin with man as man, a thing standing absolute and alone. How he came there, or indeed how any thing else came there, is a thing for theologians and philosophers and scientists and not for historians. But an excellent test case of this isolation and mystery is the matter of the impulse of art” (Chesterson).

Origin stories, the first known pieces of written artistic expression, began with the creation of man. The unformed clay of man is sculpted into the divine image or imago dei of its creator and given life by one or more divine, immortal beings. Epic stories move within the framework of the creation narratives to illuminate the life of one or more heroes for the people to follow. Among those who preserved the creation and epic stories were the Babylonians and the Hebrews for whom the material and supernatural histories were indistinguishable. Although mystical elements reside inside these stories, they are the best records we have of the distant past. These earliest epic stories have served to set the foundation for the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations in their organization of people, their land, and their laws, and influenced how they chose their leaders. Oppressive leaders tended to rise to power, yet these epic narratives show that people longed for a shepherd king to guide them to an ultimate path of peace.

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Song of Songs| An Allegory of God's Gracious Love For His People

In a Biblical love story from long ago, written to celebrate the enduring affection of a pastoral king for his bride, could there be a deeper meaning? This is the question that I asked while reading through “Song of Songs” for my World Literature class this semester. We’ve analyzed the ancient Creation/Destruction stories, Epic stories, Romance/Realism stories, and Metaphysical/Speculative stories. 

Read more here.

Psalm 139| a personalized paraphrase

Psalm 139| a personalized paraphrase

by C.S. Griesë
 
You have investigated
everything about me;
You know it all, O Lord—
every single detail.
 
Even my resting and rising,
You understand,
all my routines and ways—
though You dwell in heaven.
 
Before I think of something
wise or foolish to say,
You know all my utterances
and the reasons why I say them.
 
You are before and after me,
above time and space.
You surround and bless me—
with no beginning and no end.
 
Where can I escape your Spirit,
the constant companion beside me?
 
If I traveled to the outermost rim
of the undiscovered universe,
You would be there.
 
If I rested in the depths of the earth,
with heat, rock, and shadow,
You would be there.
 
If I could catapult from one end
of earth to the other,
In both those places,
Your guiding hand would find me.
 
If I lamented, “This pit is too dark,
too far from the goodness of God,”
You would brighten the darkness
with the light of Your goodness.
 
For You created my very essence
when the spark of light flashed
in my mother’s uterus—
and two genetic codes intertwined.
 
For the rest of the poem, click here.