Do you remember your first commercial airplane flight? I sat
wide-eyed as the flight attendant told us about the safety precautions. I
fretted about trying to remember it all. To my amazement the business
travelers around me were reading reports, skimming newspapers or dozing.
Yep, they'd heard it all before and not one of those safety instructions
had ever been needed. Boring!
I've been on many flights since then. Now I'm the glazed-eyed
passenger. Important information can sound lifeless to the unconcerned
heart.
Then I took a trip on Kulula Airlines. They sound Hawaiian, but
actually fly on the Southern tip of Africa.
Here's what I remember hearing:
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen
and welcome to Kulula Flight 753. Trixie and Trixie up in the cockpit are
going to attempt to get us to Durban - if they feel up to it today. Those
passengers not wanting to go there better sit quietly because the rest of
us are not going to give into their petty whims."
Then the safety regulations were explained: "Please take the two
belts at your seat and put the flat bit into the square bit until it
clicks. Skinny fliers need to pull on one of the belts until you can't
feel your legs any more.
If you look out the window and see ocean it
means that the pilot wants us to take a swim. Put one of these ghastly
orange vests over your head and pull down on these rope thingies. If
nothing happens blow through this drinking-straw thingie. The light on
the vest is there to give the sharks a candle-light dinner.
The disco
lights on the floor will help you to get up and boogie when we say you
can.
If it gets stuffy in here oxygen masks will drop down. If you are
traveling with a child put yours on first and then help the little urchin
before it turns blue. If you are so stupid as to be travelling with more
than one child, now would be a good time to decide which one you want to
save!"
Just before take off a bad impression of a German accent came
through the cabin speakers: "Zis iss der Kaptain speakink. All crew take
zeir seads und buckle up. Remember I vant to hear only one click."
There
was only one click as they did it with precision timing.
The landing at Durban was very bumpy. The cabin announcement went:
" The captain will now try to drag whatever is left of this aircraft to
the gate. Please stay seated as he can't concentrate on two things at
once."
Now that's what I call getting the old message across in a new way.
The Bible can be that way. In 1611 King James authorized a new
translation of the Bible into English. Scholars toiled to do two things
(that are easier said than done).
They were to render the original Greek
and Hebrew Scriptures into everyday 15th Century English.
They were also
to use the idiomatic usage of the day to convey ancient meanings.
The
result was a Bible used for 350 years.
Whole cultures were built upon its texts. Allegiance to it was
retained long after generations of English speakers grew up without a
single "thee" or "thou" in their lexicons.
Kulula's announcements
captured my attention.
Fresh translations of the Bible intend to do the
same thing. Does Kulula still get the meaning across and thereby satisfy
I.A.T.A. regulations? You bet.
Most modern translations do that.
Try reading the Bible in Modern English. It's not the 1611 wording
that matters. Not all the translations are considered equally good. Since
1978 I've been using one that some people consider inferior. I've
preached from it, prayed over it and used it in my devotional time.
I
suppose some day soon I'll see the terrible harm it's caused me, but
until then I keep mining up-to-date gems from its pages.
Search for the
meaning behind the words in the Word (of God). Fear not, you'll get the
message God has for you.
