Monday, September 23, 2013

The Limerick Bible - the Gospel of Mark



Some months ago a few people on Twitter suggested (sarcastically of course) that people should get to work on a Limerick Bible. This challenge struck me keenly because I had just completed a class on The Gospel According to Mark, taught by the brilliant Joan Mitchell CSJ, author of Beyond Fear and Silence: A Feminist Literary Reading of Mark. Joan wanted us to submit a culminating project. It should be modest, she told us, no 20 page papers,  and it could be ANYTHING that had to do with Mark’s Gospel.

People turned in a feast of songs, art projects, craft projects. There was even some glitter. I have no talent in that direction but two limericks did happen into my head and so I submitted them. Joan’s reaction was pretty much the opposite of what I would have expected in any of my 12 years of Catholic school, so I was encouraged.

Lately another couple of limericks came to mind, and I thought “Oh, why not!” So here we are. I have included the Gospel citations so as to imbue this nonsense with, at least, an air of scholarship.

Overview
The Gospel of Mark doesn’t waste time
So everyone says that it’s groovy.
It’s short and it’s sweet
You can read it complete
In less than the time of a movie.

7:24-30
A Syrophoenician woman
Sassed Jesus the moment he passed her.
The Gospel of Mark
Has plenty of snark
But most of it comes from the Master.


9:2-8
The moment of Transfiguration
Brought with it a terrible fuss.
Peter said “build a tent”.
Jesus knew what he meant,
But said “let’s keep it just between us”.


10:17-22
Money won’t get you the kingdom
A rich man was sorry to hear.
He had too much stuff,
So he left in a huff
‘Cause he held all his riches to dear.


12:41-44
A woman went into the temple
Her very last dollar to give
They all reeled in shock
When he said to his flock,
This is how everybody should live.


16:1-8
The women were stunned into silence
At the sight of Our Lord’s empty grave
The young man in white
Said “He left in the night”
Tell the people he came here to save.

I confess that translating Scripture into limericks does have a blessing to it. You come to know a passage a bit more than from simply reading or hearing it, especially if it’s a very familiar story. You must figure out the nub of meaning, perhaps not the arcane meaning or the mystical meaning, but the kernel of narrative meaning. So I recommend it as a past time. Do not, however, substitute this exercise for prayer. God might frown.


Next time I begin a more serious multi-part series on prayer. 

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