The over-specialized times we live in, deserves a laughing rant or two….

My religious joke entry for the day or at least humor-we have to stay awake at least while here, and laugh at our tendencies occasionally–especially religious people! I’m probably preaching to the choir here (if a very small one) but….

Have study bibles gotten too specialized. when they now have a study bible for women going through menopause. I actually found one in a bookshop today.

Now, i’ve walked several through that unpleasant time in life, and Lord knows, we all need the bible then (maybe more so then!), but if we get this specific, i’m thinking, there will be the left handed kite flyers study bible; the allergic to cats, but loves them still, study bible; the, I still love Jesus, but hate the church study bible; the, i keep losing at the lottery bible; the whatever happened to my high school band bible-i’m not equating any of these with the suffering of menopause of course-but perhaps. we’ve gotten too specialized…etc…

Having said that, a post pandemic study bible might be useful, or an, if you experienced 911 study bible, or are in a current active war etc…but i still think these study bibles are getting a bit too specialized. “Let the Word do the work”, as my uncle used to say! Or let the art do the preaching, would be how i would say it!

Plus, the books themselves haven’t gotten better designed (a personal pet peeve). If you are going to do a menopause bible, however, which i’m assuming would involve emphasis on the book of Job, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations and the more existential dread books; and for hope, perhaps Exodus and Ruth, for we do get through the wilderness, and this too shall pass at such a time as this…but it certainly needs the right colors and fonts….ok, i’ll stop there.

But wasn’t the Holy Spirit to be our guide into the study scriptures we need each season? Doesn’t an editor dictating what passages you need to read in each season of life feel a bit forced, or even interruptive of the spiritual process?

All good quest-ions! But it helps us humorist at least have some fodder!

And, I am still secretly working on my religious joke book, and there’s lots to mine in the over-specialized market for study bibles in our times. It started with teens–ok, although we sort of invented teenagerhood. But perhaps we’ve gone too far.

Thanks for enduring my religious books frustration rant today, may you all make it well through whatever season of life you are in!

As someone who actually loves the bible, like my rabbi friends, i try to keep a reasonable hedge or fence around it, and let it do it’s work. But, do find the right study bible to accompany you through life! I have a collection! I’m sure there is one for butterfly and bird lovers, and sky watchers like myself. Poets who are the son of preachers and the likes. And, if I see an ex-circus carney lover of all cities and types of people arts and healing bible, I’ll probably buy it!