Jeremiah was a downer

(And if you’re of a certain age, you’re finishing that title with “Was a good friend of miiine.”)

Actually, that’s kind of appropriate, especially the “never understood a single word he said…”

As I promised myself earlier, I am reading the entire Bible, cover to cover, this year, in little snippets of three chapters here, four chapters there, and I am deep into the Hebrew Scriptures, in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet.

I have read the entire Bible before, but never like this, page by page, and while sometimes (The begats!) it has been slow-going, I have to say it’s also mostly been illuminating.

Because of my fundamentalist background, I am now beginning to see some of the roots of my faith, where we spent as much time with the Old Testament as we did with the New. I am also seeing the — I mean no disrespect — evolution of God, or maybe, the evolution of people’s perception of God. Old Testament God is one scary dude. OTG promises death and destruction with beautifully written phrases, such as the one that admonishes people because they don’t even know how to blush (so they don’t have the sense to understand proper behavior).

Jeremiah had a tough job, trying to get his people to understand and avert the coming destruction. He was not successful, but I give him credit: At least he hung around to help after Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. I would think the role of prophet would be pretty thankless (they aren’t loved in their hometowns, after all, and that’s where people are supposed to love you, regardless) but you can just hear his frustration growing into anger morphing into a high state of panic.

Honestly, I’m glad I’m doing this. I’m learning a lot. I highly recommend it, but yeesh.