http://www.makepovertyhistory.org iBlog

iBlog

Tomorrow's blog today

Thursday, September 18, 2008

This is from one of my favourite blogs: Internets Dairy.

How good a carpenter was Jesus?

I ask because I was in church the other day, singing a hymn, when a line about Jesus' hands being 'skilled at the plane and the lathe' came up.

But what evidence is there for these woodworking skills? There are plenty of stories about Our Saviour raising the dead, turning water into wine etc. Precious little about him making a cassette rack, or turning a stable into a breakfast bar. The disciples were generally pretty fulsome in their praise of Jesus; that they don't mention his craftmanship implies it was bad or indifferent at best.

Also: this was a man who - famously - was actually nailed to some wood for some time. Wouldn't a proper carpenter have made some kind of professional comment in those long, long hours? 'The join between the crossbar and the upright isn't quite flush - you should have used a dovetail,' perhaps. 'Good choice on the asphaltum varnish; it should be blood-proof and it really brings out the grain.' But no, he just bangs on about being thirsty.

Could it be that hymns aren't peer reviewed?

2 Comments:

  • At 1:21 PM, Blogger Timothy V Reeves said…

    The evangelical inquisition might be interested in this post of yours.

    I don't mean to put the wind up you but while we are on the subject of the inquisition and woodwork; I wonder if this guy noticed the fine workmanship of the big wheel the inquisition were giving him a ride on - probably too taken up with the sights it afforded.

     
  • At 3:22 PM, Blogger Ben F. Foster Esq. (c) said…

    ``I say, Pedro... I've been meaning to get one of these myself for those pesky kids driving their moatpeds around my castle at all hours...

    ``Would you be so kind as to give me the number of whichsoever crafts man so made this for you? There were indeed so many good Lutheran carpenters until they all diapeared. Now these Catholic wood butchers just don't seem to have the same timber finesse wouldn't you say?...

    ``Ouch!``

     

Post a Comment

<< Home