Old Bible Truth in New Clothes

I was the glazed-eyed passenger. Then I took a trip on Kulula Airlines.

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.