plurality of truth in the singular

Maybe ignorance is bliss. Maybe.

I can remember beliving the creation story. I can remember believing the entire Old Testament. I'm not sure if I would have become a Christian had I not bought in to the whole Bible as is. As truth.

My assumptions have been challenged, but never so much as this year. And never so much as now.

I'm reading a book on Jewish history. Written by an anthropologist who grew up Jewish, who doesn't believe any more, but has renewed at least the practices of the Jewish faith for his children. He writes a convincing account of "actual" Jewish history that better matches the historical record, but not the Old Testament. Interesting. Logically then, we should discount the Bible as a historical document.

And that's when it hit me. Of course we should discount the Bible as a historical document. Instead, we must view it as literary truth. That is, it is the story of a people who were often oppressed by never - even in exile, even when worshipping idols - gave up their God. It is the story of a God who never let them forget Him. The Law, though inspired by God, was written by human hands, many times over, in many different places. The story of the Jews is a story of oppression, exile, unity, rebuilding, and oppression and exile again. And everywhere they went they took the Law of their God, painstakingly copied out by scribes.

And they made mistakes. And they translated it into at least four languages within its first few hundred years. And there were scribes more devoted to the High Priests than to God. And there were High Priests more devoted to Kings. And there were Kings more devoted to money then God. And there were people who followed, wherever they were.

But no matter what, it was the Law. And it was "truth".

But more important than the Law, was the God who had given it to them. The fact that the Jews never gave up their God must be considered a feat in itself. Their God was an idea that was not represented by gold, or wood, and could not be fashioned out of human hands. Their God could not be physically with them, could not be picked up and moved by them. And yet they believed He was always with them. Their God, so great that even saying His name was fearful, was the Most High. And what was His Holy Name? It was El. It was Elohim.

El - the singular God. The presumed God of all gods, the King of kings. And Elohim - the singular proper noun they used when they, with fear and trembling called Him. Elohim - the singular proper noun with a plural ending. When they whispered His name, when they exalted Him, when they thought about Him, when they studied the Laws He had given them, they proclaimed something highly paradoxical: the oneness of Him, and the oneness of His comprehensive all-inclusivity.

The way and the truth and the life. El. Their way and their truth and their life. Elohim.

The Torah, the Talmud, the Bible...truth, ok. But in the end, the most powerful truth, the greatest miracle is the El-Elohim God that never let go of His people