The Value of Myth

Philosophy Forums Religion and Spirituality
1

Think about the songs we sing or hum to, when we take on the identity of the lover or the disappointed in the song almost without thinking about it. Or think about the adaptation of personalities in stories by children or when they ‘play’ their parents in games. These are means of getting a ‘grip’ of life and it has been a common means of understanding what cannot be ‘grasped’ physically. The same happens with literature, theatre and film today, when (not just young) people adopt the posture and language of their heroes or idols.

Unfortunately, the subculture of youth has often been superficial or, to some degree, destructive. Many of the idols of youth have been tragic personalities who end their lives with drug or alcohol abuse, with a retreat out of society, with death by misadventure or accident, or they disappoint by returning to tedious normalcy. It is understandable, since these characters portray the situation of many young people who lack significant Myths, in a world where reason and rationality are assumed to give answers for everything.

Some feminists have called women back to their role as story-tellers, finding many ancient stories wholesome and good for the development of children, relationships and society. They say it was when Men took over the storytelling that things went wrong and women became subjugated. Again, those stories were Myths transporting elementary truths which reason and logic has no access to and support the thesis of Mythos complementing Logos.

It is the enactment of the Grace of God by his Children by means of liturgy or lifestyle that brings this Mythos to life. God is the great Mystery at the beginning of the world, the source of life and of wisdom. This grand Prime Mover created a world with everything to sustain life - a planet that astounds mankind, full of fascination and challenge. Somewhere at the beginning of civilisation the Mythos develops, and Abram leaves his old tradition behind to become the father of as many people as there are stars. A spiritual man, a mystic, a visionary, stumbling through life, blown here and there by the cultures of the half-moon, collecting wisdom and preserving it, by sustaining a culture of Mystical Myth. How it all continued you can read in Genesis.

In Germany I read a number of books by ‘Magister Hellmuth Frey’ written thirty years before in 1950. Those thin books in the old German script - an exegesis of Genesis – were fascinating because they showed the Mythology of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be an exciting narrative that needs to be read in the night around bonfires. The great gap between Jacob/Israel and Moses is only artificially closed by the editor of Genesis, and if you read closely you know that this Mythology had been taken up by a people who probably weren’t his biological relatives at all.

But that again is a point that Jesus picks up, when he says that God can create children of Abraham out of the rocks in a river. It isn’t the biological lineage, but the spiritual lineage that is valuable. It is the trust of Abraham with which the covenant is made – made one-sidedly at that, God being the only partner who goes through the ancient rite. Abraham is ‘excused’ – as he often is during his ‘trials’. The children that will be ‘as numerable as the stars’ are those that pick up the tread of this Mythos and live it on. The Tale is full of archetypes, just as Moses too, is a model of the new Israelite, like Joshua, emerging from Mizraim, assumed to be Egypt, picking up the thread that ended with Jacob/Israel and his sons.

This tradition transports the mystical experiences made with the Mystery, with “I am he, who is” – a clear proof that mankind cannot know the name of the Mystery, cannot grasp him, or have influence over him. Moses is told: “ Tell them ‘I am has sent me to you’!” It is a tradition that can be picked up by people like me thousands of years later – providing we don’t mix Logos with Mythos.

Shalom
Bob

2

I admire and respect your stance, and your words are beautiful and moving, but there is much fear in the ancient stories, and much history that has been replaced by religious power struggles and political intent. If the meaning of these old stories, of the flood, of the Genesis, of the Exodus and the plagues, could be placed into the open, without the fear and ignorance of the “sons of Abraham” rushing to squash it on every side, I think there would be growth.

As it is, there are too many petals coming off the flower of spirituality. Too many followers of Jesus reaching for their guns and too many students of Muhammed blowing themselves to bits.

There are even more would-be disciples passing judgement on those who believe differently from themselves, bombing abortion clinics, threatening doctors, and holding back science, discovery, and true freedom.

If God is truly there, then he has given us our minds and our curiosity as a means to find Him… assuming the sane among us can make our way through the picket lines and past the pyres of books being burned to uphold the values the protesters claim lie in the unread Bibles in their hands.

3

If there wasn’t, we wouldn’t be able to use that fear to inoculate ourselves against future fears - the antibody is just of spiritual or psychological nature instead of being biological. And the ‘relived’ experiences with religious and political power struggles should give us an idea of what destroys social systems quickly, despite centuries of building.

Our problem today seems to be that we have lost our ability to equip ourselves for the future. We may have the material equipment and even the ability of rationality, but we are ill equipped for the emotional upheavals in life. They are as equally effective and can throw us off our feet as well as any storm can do, but we build protection against physical storms and forget the emotional ones.

I’m not sure whether your statement was made with regard to Mythology or whether it was more a political statement. We do have the problem with Fundamentalism trying to interpret intuitive thoughts ‘scientifically’ and at the same time disregarding intuition as something not evident or deducible. Or you have the highly emotional situation in Israel/ Palestine being treated in a supposed rationalistic manner, making emotions rise even more.

I think that human beings need to realise that there are many sides to their nature and that we need to control all of them. But we need to use them too! If there is to be a modern age, then it should be a holistic age, realising that we are all part of the whole and will effectively destroy ourselves if we don’t learn to accept the various views and experiences of people.

I believe that the Mystery is ‘there’ for all to see, once we get our sight back. There is more to ‘see’ than the eyes can achieve - we know that on a scientific basis. But our ‘blind spot’ is also an intuitive blindspot, a spiritual blindspot. What fundamentalism does is express the unflinching opinion that what is said in (whatever) Scripture is true, but they can’t see it either. Effectively the modernists are blind to intuitive insight, but the fundamentalists are too!

What becomes apparent with the Mystics of all religions, is that their common intuition leads them to see Humanity as a huge and colourful family and they learn from each other. The diversity of spiritual traditions is not threatening, but yet another sign of the wanted diversity of life.

Shalom
Bob

4

A beautiful sentiment, but like group B I have my reservations. For those with a clear eye the inclusive nature of myth and religion are obvious. Practice among the many, unfortunately falls short. It certainly isn’t that we have no myths or a shortage of religions to draw upon, it is the collective decision to take the low road that leaves us empty.

We focus on making our religions EXclusive. I define who and what I am by making it clear who and what I am not. I’m not this, I’m not that…
We build walls around ourselves because it look’s easier than including our neighbor. How simple. I have the Way, the Truth, and the Light and if you don’t agree with me, you don’t have the Way, the Truth, …
Moreover, it is my duty to get you to see the Way, the Truth, … , even if I have to kill you.

Over time, the world has slowly replaced myth with pseudo-knowledge of various persuasions that exacerbate the polarity we see almost any place we choose to look. Has it ever been different? Probably not, except perhaps in small enclaves. The village has been replaced by the whole world, and the differences among us are magnified exponentially.

Can a new myth or religion fill the vacuum? One can only hope.

JT

5

Hi tentative,

Don’t we all have a tendency to keep back or to withhold our enthusiasm? Our age is full of people who see no reason to hold back, but if you begin discussing this kind of a subject, you seem to collect the ‘tentative’ and careful.

Exactly, and I tend to believe that you will always have prominent leaders and teachers in this realm, people who pick up the thread and continue the traditions that have been laid dormant. That is in fact the point of what I was saying, people have no Myths because they choose to disregard them. At the same time, people need them to find meaning in their lives and are willing to accept cheap copies just because they are topical and current.

To my mind the failure of christian Myth lies with the inability of the Church to differentiate in a way that assures people that truth has just as many varying facets as Mankind can produce. Just as in spoken word there are so many more messages being passed on than we notice at first, so it is with understanding life. Everyone has their own tradition, whether a mainstream tradition or not, it is just that some of them are very immature.

Yes, that is actually where Apologetics and Dogma come from. They come from ‘defending’ the faith but each time they restrict someones thinking. It is just like America being afraid of Terrorist, but instead of understanding terrorists, they produce the patriot act and reduce citizens freedom.

I’m afraid it is becoming a bit like Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ mixed up with Orwell’s ‘1984’…

Or, can we pick up the treads of an old one in the right perspective and give it the necessary rituals and ceremonies to help people draw from the timeless and constant existential wisdom?

Shalom
Bob

6

Hi Bob,

I am reminded of an irreverent but telling story. Someone offered up the position that Christianity had obviously failed, to which an old wag observed, that Christianity hadn’t failed, it was just that no one had tried it yet.

Unfortunately, it would appear that this story is the fate of all religion. In Eastern philosophy it is noted that the follower, when pointed in a direction by the master, fails to see the direction and merely sucks the pointing finger for comfort.

Are we living in a Brave New World? I think the jury is still out, but it does appear that we’re getting closer to such a world. The lack of a tradition based on myth or religion leaves most people with a very thin layer of values, and worse, the perception that there is no way out of it. With uncertainty comes insecurity. Out of insecurity comes extremism as people desperately try to find SOMETHING to believe in. Witness the polarization in this country on any issue you would care to name.

Can we recycle an old myth? Is it possible to put new clothes on an old tattered religion? Can science save us? I doubt it. It will take something catastrophic to get people to pay attention and to begin dialog instead of diatribe.

There will always be the same handful of careful thinkers in every generation. We must wait for that event that gives them full voice instead of whispers. I’m just not going to hold my breath waiting for that to happen. :unamused:

JT

7

Bob

Hope you’re well!

Enjoyed reading this Mythos post. These passages in particular I found thought-provoking.

But. . . I’m not quite sure what this relationship between mythos and logos is about. Perhaps you would explain? I have examined and contrasted the terms and there seems to be a fair amount of cross-over and no clearly defined interface between them. . . first you say,

and then,

and later still,

Please forgive me Bob, I just don’t see what it is you’re saying. Is, for instance, logos equivalent to all things masculine and mythos to things feminine? Like some kind of yin/yang thing. . ?

So, I’ve gone to my Greek Lexicon to check out how these two terms complement/contrast one another. . .

“mythos

Anything delivered by word of mouth, word, speech : as opp. to ergon a mere word, without the deed : a speech.
II. talk, conversation : also, the subject of conversation, the matter itself.
III. advice, a command, order.
IV. a purpose, design, plan.
V. a tale, story : afterwards, mythos was the poetic or legendary tale, as opposed to the historical account.
2. a tale, story, fable, such as Aesop’s fables.

ergon

  1. often in Hom. opp. to epos, deed, not word; in Att. often opp. to logos

epos

a word;
II. generally, that which is spoken, uttered in words, a speech, tale : also a song.
III. it is used also of 1. a prophecy, an oracle : later also a proverb, maxim.
2. the meaning, substance of a speech. 3. in pl. meant poetry in heroic verse, epic poetry, opp. to lyric poetry : then transferred to elegiac verse; and thence generally to verses, poetry.

logos

I. the word by which the inward thought is expressed : also II. The inward thought or reason itself.
I. Lat. oratio, vox, that which is said or spoken : 1. a word, in pl. words, language. . . 2. a saying, expression : an oracle, maxim, proverb. 3. conversation, discussion. . .
4. a speaking or talking about a thing. . .a report, rumour. . . 5. a tale, story, opp. both to mere fable (mythos) and to regular history (historia) : a. fictitious story, fable, such as those of Aesop. B. a story, narrative, mostly in pl., history, chronicles : in sing. one part of the narrative. 6. logoi, prose-writing, prose, opp. to poesis, a book. b. at Athens, speeches : a speech; the power of speaking, oratory, eloquence. 7. the right or privilege of speaking. . . 8. like rhema, the thing spoken of, the subject of the logos.
II. Lat. ratio, thought, reason; reflexion, deliberation. . . 2. account, consideration, esteem, regard. . . 3. calculation, reckoning : the account or reckoning. . . 4. relation, proportion, analogy. 5. a reasonable ground, a condition. . .
III. in N. T., the LOGOS or WORD, comprising both senses of Word and Reason.

rhema

that which is said or spoken, a word, saying, expression, phrase. 2. also the thing spoken of, a thing.”

So, I assume when you speak of mythos you are speaking of a tale or story and later a poetic or legendary tale, as opposed to a historical account. But then logos, well, it too can mean a tale or story, as opposed both to mere fable (mythos) and to regular history (historia). . . and it can also mean a fictitious story, or fable, such as those of Aesop.

I’m not sure this helps at all. . .

Bob, I’m confused! What is mythos and how does it relate to logos?

Is it pre-written language, the oral tradition, story-telling tradition. . .Chinese whispers and all. . ?

God is surely the Great Mystery at the beginning of the universe. But that beginning is not like any other beginning. And it is surely not the beginning either of the physicists or the creationists that we are discussing here but that beginning which occurs continuously almost as a kind of unfolding or becoming and one that is in the mind of every awakened creature/being as it travels life’s journey. In other words this Great City of the world is reborn each time an intelligence is born into the world. . .

But this is fascinating stuff Bob. And I must get myself an old exegesis of Genesis! It’s time I went hunting around second-hand and antiquarian bookshops again!

8

Ave phrygianslave the wise,

thank you, I am feeling the tropical heat at present but that’s ‘me age’ - I trust you are well and still kicking…

Somehow I thought that this subject was a bit off the beaten track, the response was very slow, but I think I understand why. I have tended to use Karen Armstrong’s terminology, since her book ‘The Battle For God’ brought my attention to something that I have been treating as understood for some time - and apparently it isn’t! Example:

Many people actually don’t notice when I treat the biblical myth as such and ‘tell the story’. And that is what I am in essence talking about - storytelling. It is an activity that is existential to human existence but has been frowned upon in the modern age, despite the fact that we still use and tell stories in the same manner as early Mankind ten thousand years ago. We just don’t associate these stories with a complementary ‘truth’ to scientific research and proven fact.

What I am lacking at the present is the material to show what I mean by example because I have written mostly in German and haven’t had time to translate. But the fact is that if we stop pretending to need to ‘get to the bottom’ of the biblical stories and find out how historical (and therefore ‘true’) they are, we would recognise the truth intuitively.

If you’re lucky you’ll find something like I found, someone who was willing to pick up the thread and weave on, telling the story to his audience and enthralling them with the truth behind Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who in turn discover the Mystery at the beginning of time and tell the story.

I hope I have thrown a little light into the confusion.

Shalom
Bob

9

Bob

Salut! You have indeed enlightened me further.

What strikes me immediately in your quotation from, ‘The Battle For God’ is the parallel between mythos and a term employed by the late Peter Fuller in relation to the situation in modern painting, the term being, ‘shared symbolic order,’ or, should I say, the lack of any shared symbolic order in modern art.

What we have, Bob, surely, is a situation in which pluralism prevails, i.e., is the prevailing paradigm; and unless we can do something to restore, (assuming it to be true that such needed restoring. . .) a kind of common unified faith in society and her functions, the arts and faculties in general. . .

I wonder. Would this be a step backwards, can we go backwards any more after all that has happened? Apparently, now that we, ‘know,’ we’re a tiny planet in a solar system in one of the billion and more galaxies in the universe whatever and no longer at the centre of the universe. . . well, you know the story!

So here we are, lost in space!

The only thing to be done is to encourage future generations to read and study the old ways of thinking, the old literatures, the old scriptures. . . As long as we have libraries we have hope. But having to compete against cinema and the assortment of other modern technologies is not easy. . . But then look at this little website, ILP, O.K., so there’s lots of kids who have a great deal of growing up to do, but there’s some extremely intelligent posting going on that promises these things like mythos and the suchlike are not in their death throes contrary to popular opinion, far from it in fact. Mythos is perhaps live and well and simply waiting to be recalled to centre stage to speak her lines be it e’er so briefly.

Me, the eternal optimist!

Good luck Bob,

Peter.

10

I’m not sure that this isn’t sidetracking the thread, but it seems to me that part of the discussion is missing or hasn’t been explored. It is the issue of faith -vs- belief.

I would argue that the failure of myth, religion, and science occurs the moment that faith is replaced by belief. Belief is easily abstracted and becomes vulnerable to reason, which, no matter how sophisticated and “rational” and elegant, is only a product of man’s mind. Faith trancends belief. When we give up belief then faith is possible. It isn’t that I can’t construct an explanation full of ‘knowing’ and ‘believing’, because I will. I have to just to get through the day. But ultimately, I am saved by faith in that of which I am aware, but cannot know. You can call this awareness God, creator, creation, or any other label that pleases you. How do I explain this awareness? I don’t. I simply acknowledge it.

I suspect that most people get hung up in belief, and when they begin questioning their beliefs they are left with no place to turn. A misunderstanding of the methodology of science has allowed us to “debunk” myth and religion. We now demand scientific or rational “proof”, or it isn’t believable. The criteria is no longer can we have faith in what we cannot know, but is there “proof” of our beliefs?

For myth or religion to have power it must be invested by faith.

JT

11

Hello Peter,

Well, what lovely replies I have been getting!

You are probably right. It is the need to realise that the religious is indeed on the lines of the arts, creativity and emotion. It would be fitting to learn to trust the intuitive knowledge that is portrayed in creative processes and even link to the fruition of physical love - which it is in fact anyway. But this would have to be in a pluralist spirit, allowing all to follow their own traditions at will, not claiming any exclusive rights to truth.

Of course you are right, we can’t expect people to forget history - especially when for certain groups (like the Moslems) history is repeating itself. But it would be fitting to point out that these religious movements often began as liberation movements - it was always the attempt to break out that brought the great Mystery on to the curriculum, rebinding to the basis of existence, seeking the wisdom that rationalist power struggles often ruled out.

If common man could understand themselves as ‘children of God’ - i.e. a species that has all of the creative ability to follow the source of life itself and can even open themselves to the emanating spirit to be taught by revelation, we could envisualise a world religion with many facets - but one goal: the liberation of mankind through the realisation of his spiritual potential.

An example of how old tradition can be utilised in the modern age is here:
quiescence.de/Faith/Who_was_Elijah.pdf - it is a sermon I have held in the past and is less ‘written’ language as ‘spoken’ language - if you see what I mean…

I am quite thankful for the possibilities we have here too! (Thanks Ben…) I think that cinema is finding more ways to fulfil a role in the mixed media that is in the interest of literature and tradition. It still is very commercial but the demand isn’t enough yet. We need people who are willing to teach the old ways of thinking in a way whereas ‘the thread’ can be picked up and carried on.

… and me with you :smiley:

Hello Tentative,

Don’t worry, someone who calls themselves Tentative will be forgiven everything…

I believe you have put your point very sensitively and it is in fact what I was pointing at. I like your use of language. A very clear statement.

Exactly, it is intuitive and heartfelt knowledge and is as important as any scientific proof. We must only avoid mixing the two, acknowledging that they compliment each other and not driving our car on faith, and not trying to prove our awareness with some pseudo-science.

Shalom
Bob

12

Hi Bob,

OK. We’ve identified the issue. So what’s the Grand Plan? How do we move people toward this deeper understanding? Is it possible? If the insight we share with others is so strong, why are so many missing the point? It isn’t that that our understanding is so complex, so profound, that it is beyond the grasp of almost every living human. Rather, it would seem that the simplicity is the stumbling block.

What is the way, the methodology, the trick, the… that becomes the charismatic, banner waving, galvanising force for change in the human heart and mind?

I’m sure you have a simple two sentence answer. :laughing:

JT

13

Hi JT,

I believe that we have a great opportunity with the communication technology at our disposal which is giving us the chance to become increasingly creative and at the same time make this creativity available to numerous people. But the most important factor is not any form of ‘mass media’ but character.

It won’t be the banner waving charismatic, but the personal touch, the communicative nature that builds community around an ideal, around a vision. It will be less the masses and more the small groups of people dedicated to a dream - perhaps strengthened by the knowledge that it is far from a mistake to trust that dream to move mountains.

Shalom
Bob
(it wasn’t two sentences, but near enough…)

14

Hi Bob,
Sorry for the dirty trick. Couldn’t resist. Devil made me do it. :unamused:

Yup, you’re right. It will have to be the small group, the little enclave of shared viewpoint. I’d really like to think that movement is not only possible, but likely. The dilemma for me is that I would have enough movement that it is noted on at least page seven in the local paper. Actually, I’d settle for just this side of the classifieds.

Yes, the small group. The personal exchange. But has it ever been different? Every generation has it’s small group. The world need’s a larger group!

Inertia a a great thing. It provide’s stability and society must have that to survive. But when inertia preserves a great malignancy that leave’s the majority spiritually malnourished, is that the best to be expected? Apparently so. The history of the last several thousand years confirms it.

I don’t have a two sentence answer either. Still, I can hope. Perhaps if I live another two hundred years I’ll get to see the beginning… :wink:

JT

15

Hi JT,

No, it hasn’t ever been different - the small group is homogenous and can preserve their direction. It is when they get tempted with power and recognition that the dream fades and direction is lost. It may be that many modern people say that such groups only have a direction - but that is what we need above all else.

The assumption is that progress needs the masses, but where is that progress proceeding to? Does the progress have an aim at all, or is it just progress for progresses sake? If so, then it could just as well be a progress to finally wipe out mankind. Progress needs a declared aim. A point of reference by which to measure.

If you ask the pragmatical where their going with their progress, they will point to their charts and say ‘up’ - but the direction on their progress chart is abstract and isn’t some place in time. They can’t even measure any material gain, because in the sums they are counting it’s beyond grasp.

Yes, it always will be the small group, and unless they get utilised by the powerful, they will do the good they can, where they can. It isn’t how big, but how many groups can reach as many as possible, without falling to the temptation to become a corporation…

Shalom
Bob

16

Hello Bob,
I absolutely agree that the small group is the only likely place to nurture spiritual awareness, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hope. (said the incurable romantic)

My take on the issue is that modern man got it backwards. He stripped away faith and left us with nothing but belief in a collection of edifices that crumbled into sand. In short, Humpty Dumpty is having one hell of a time.

Is it really enough for a handful of us to whisper “the emperor has no clothes on”? I’m not looking for progress in the additive sense, the large group movement that co-opts the message and uses it for their own ends, but rather the stripping away of false belief so that faith has a chance to re-emerge.

I guess I’ve tipped my hand. I’m a 51% person. I like to see things work at least one more time than they fail.

Time to get out the Baileys and a large glass.

JT

17

Hi JT,
pass me a Baileys over too, would you…

Yes, the stripping away of false belief is something that I have tried to do. I tried to help people see the value of Faith over Belief without rubbing their noses in it, in fact even by getting them all excited about what Faith can do dynamically and showing that Belief leads us into stagnation. It was a little frustrating for me to have to see superstition suddenly raise its head with stories about the woman on the corner curdling the milk and the such.

I have come to accept that the life we live is indeed a paradox and that we nurture an illusion that life is eternal until we suddenly reach our own physical boundaries. We enjoy a degree of ‘philosophising’ until we understand that our opposite is a real madman and could endanger us. We hold on to ‘facts’ and build our house of cards until they start falling and at some time, we come to the conclusion that we have been fooling ourselves all along.

That is the time when you start listening to the words of ‘Fragile’, you lose at tear at the sight of grief, your heart hurts because a war has started, you want to speak to someone mourning but you hold them and say nothing. It can be a time when empathy starts to burden you, when people realise that you are looking into their heart and back off, when you start becoming melancholy and you find words of prayer. It is then that Myth finds its form in which it can live, the Spirit blows us words of assurance, and we see the twinkling of truth like a star at night, beaming like never before, until daylight comes and we’re left waiting again.

Those who can install that kind of spirituality into their lives will reap the benefits, but the paradox is that, as much as people yearn for it, faith often eludes them because they are not prepared…

But then again, a Baileys isn’t a bad idea either… cheers!

Bob

18

Hi,

The storyline of jewish Mythology tells us how Abraham (Abram=Avram) left his people:
Now the LORD said to Avram, “Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

The urge to leave all known behind him is motivated by the promise to make him a great nation, and to bless him, and make his name great. Abram follows the order and leaves his father’s house, but takes “Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls who they had gotten in Charan” and moves out, heading for Kana’an.

This short statement is the only explanation we have of why Abram followed JHWH, and it is regarded the birth of a new monotheistic Religion. The separation from the house-idols, as we read later, has not been completely fruitful, so we are left with the question, why one God? What advantages are there in having one God, in comparison to the numerous idols of their Fathers?

There seems to be the advantage of continuity and persistence in the rules and regulations governing the lives of people in those days. It is an ethical advantage to adhere to one custom, and not to jump about according to one’s whims. It seems too, that Abram is founding a society with more equality, placing himself with his servants under the rule of JHWH, and not claiming one thing for himself, and another for his servants.
At the same time though, he enters Egypt, and says to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look on. It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

We see that Abram is still very much the old self and hasn’t become the blessing for “the families of the earth.” Many of these legends tell us how it is necessary for the Archetypes to struggle, even wrestle with God. There is not much Faith at the beginning of this story. Abram is worried about his dying at the hands of the Egyptians because his wife is beautiful. Consequently we experience the growing of Abram’s faith as we follow the story.

A particular part of the story is the active role that God takes it the relationship to Abram – even to the degree of taking upon himself the negative sanctions in case of failing to keep the covenant, whereas Abram is not expected to. At the same time, we notice how episodic the spiritual experiences of Abram are described, leaving him to himself very often – much our own experience.

Shalom
Bob

19

And that is where myth becomes a powerful force in our lives. When we can understand, appreciate, and even identify with the heroes in those stories. My life is much richer thanks to the Icelandic sagas, the Indian myths, and the obligatory Greek, Roman, and Christian versions. I am also much indebted to the late Joseph Campbell for informing me on a lot of World mythologies.

Today we have hit summer movie sequels with a high concept theme and laden with special effects but penniless when it comes to a meaningful story. There are video games on demand that increasingly appeal to our lower instincts. Most TV is about reality shows, shock value, stupidity, and banality.

We have passed the point where the story served the man. Now we are at the point where men serve the stories (witness most American’s slavish dependence on the boob tube). We have essentially reversed cause and effect.

The stories are too numerous and can be produced upon demand. They are no longer passed down from one generation to another, embellished, polished, appended. We have reached the stage of planned obsolescence of art. The very things that were hitherto given the most value by us, we now casually discard in yesterday’s rubbish and All attempts to revitalize the old myths have proven as evanescent as some of the romantics who endorsed their cause.

We need new myths, the old myths in new forms. Stories seldom told to audiences who have not become jaded.

Shalom y’all
Marshall

artus longus vitus brevis

20

Hi Marshall,

I agree with the need, but isn’t the problem that the world’s majority are too busy trying to survive to even consider the need for something in which to have faith? Isn’t naive belief still at the wheel? Where does the rag picker in a Buenos Aires garbage dump find the leisure time to consider his/her spiritual needs? Do the displaced in Darfur hold discussion groups exploring their spirituality?

Existing in a society with enough leisure to become ‘jaded’ is a high class problem. Not that it isn’t it’s own stumbling block.

If there is to be a new mythology, if the old myths are to be re-vitalized, there must be a loud and persistent voice to rise above the cacaphony of competing beliefs. (apologies to Bob) The whispers of the few who have enjoyed the luxury of having the time to explore their spirituality simply isn’t enough. We don’t need a new mythology as much as we need a ‘second coming’ of some sort.

JT