What Language Are We Putting the Bible In?

John 12:44-50 (NRSV)

Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me."

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale who translated the Bible from Latin into English in the 1500's.  Tyndale and Coverdale made the words of Scripture accessible to everyday people who may or may not have known Latin.  Coverdale translated the Psalter that is in the 1549 version of the Book of Common Prayer from the Greek Septuagint.   When the BCP was updated in 1662 it included the King Jame's Version, but kept Coverdale's version of the Psalter.  The BCP from 1928 and 1979 the current Book, have updated the Psalter, but have maintained Coverdale's translation.  We hope some day we will see a Book of Common Prayer that contains much more inclusive language.

As I contemplate the translation of the Bible from Latin into English and other languages so that it may be better understood, I am confronted with the question: What language are we translating the Bible into in 2010?  The Bible is a love story of how God interacted with people in Salvation History.  As the people in the Bible are not perfect, so we are not perfect now.  The Bible even in English can just be read as a story, a love story, many stories, or as the story of God's love in Jesus Christ for all humankind.  Why are Progressive Christians settling for allowing Christianists and arch-conservative Roman Catholic's translate the Bible's story of God's love into a Weapon of Mass Destruction and hate?

Over this past week as we have read, heard and celebrated candle-vigils for the young folks who have taken their lives because of anti-LGBTQ bullying, we have seen the destruction of the Bible translated into a book of hate.  Ex-gay ministries, conservative Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, the Minnesota Family Council, the National Organization for Marriage are quoting erroneously from the Bible.  They are using stories from the Bible to confuse, twist and interpret God's word in such a way that they encourage heterosexism that gives way to homophobia, racism, class discrimination, gender discrimination, transphobia, Islamophobia, and so many others.  These things happen, because the voices of Progressive Christians are not taking the opportunity to tell our stories of what the Bible means to those of us who are LGBTQ or other groups excluded by Bible hate based rhetoric.  The Bible contains stories that pertain to LGBTQ people as they do to heterosexuals and single gender minded people.  Yet, we are afraid to tell our stories of faith, hope and love. 

James 1:21-25 (NRSV)

Rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-- they will be blessed in their doing.

This reading from James encourages us to "Rid ourselves of sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save our souls."   It has that power because contained within the word is Jesus, God's perfect revelation as a human being like all of us.  In the Gospel today Jesus says those of us who believe in him, believe in God who sent Jesus.  As LGBTQ Christians who believe in Jesus and therefore believe in God, we have the duty and opportunity to share the Bible from the standpoint of the language of unconditional and all-inclusive love.  The love and mercy of God includes sexual and gender diversity, the poor, the unhealthy, women, those of different races, cultures, religions and languages.  When will LGBTQ Christians and other Progressive Christians become passionate about sharing the loving language of the Bible through our lives, relationships and worship?  When will we tell the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop/Bishop, Priest, Minister, Deacon or Lay Person that we too are part of God's love story in the Bible?  When will we be the Tyndale and Coverdale who translate the Bible from the death language of hate by the Christianists, into the speech of a loving, forgiving and transforming God?  When will the answer to that question be now?

Almighty God, you planted in the heart of your servants William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale a consuming passion to bring the Scriptures to people in their native tongue, and endowed them with the gift of powerful and graceful expression and with strength to persevere against all obstacles: Reveal to us your saving Word, as we read and study the Scriptures, and hear them calling us to repentance and life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 625)