To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in response to Micah Kiel’s article, “How should Catholics read the Bible?” (3-7-13). I know his intention was to say what we all say about movies (very simply here) … the book is better than the movie … you should read the book first. His criticism of “The Bible” series on the History Channel took me by surprise.
In his criticism he set aside consideration of the intention of the people behind it, which I suspect, at least on the one hand, was that they found value in telling the great story we will read through again this Easter Vigil. And, Micah Kiel’s intention is the same.
I have read the book, and was disappointed I was unable to watch the whole series. It is a great story, and I guess I don’t mind if someone sensationalizes it a bit to get people’s attention, even if they use some poetic license. We are imperfect, so I believe God uses many ways to hook us, and I’m willing to bet someone (probably more than one) somewhere, at the very least, had his interest piqued by the series — if God has his way.
And why would piquing someone’s interest in the mighty deeds of God the Father and his Son be somehow offensive? If it gets someone seeking and leads them to a Christ-like life, eventually, even if they still have some of the historical facts wrong, even if they don’t quite have the deeper meaning of all the events depicted in the Bible perfectly ingrained, this conversion would still be, somehow, perfect.
In my daily life, I attempt to live a Christ-driven life; however, up until I read Micah Kiel’s article, I believed the story of Noah and the Ark was true. Does it really matter?
Cheryl Costello
LeClaire