How do I read the Bible? Personal reflection: Monsignor Gerard Burns

Summary

The speaker reflects on their experience in South America, which transformed their approach to reading the Bible. They advocate for reading scriptures through the lens of the poor and marginalized, a perspective that enriched their understanding of Jesus' teachings and the Old Testament narratives of suffering and resilience. This method offers a fresh insight into the scriptures, highlighting the hope and struggles of those on the societal margins.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The speaker was encouraged by their time in South America to read the Bible through the perspective of the poor and marginalized.
• 📚 The speaker comes from a middle-class background with a good education and family life, which contrasts with the experiences of those they lived among in Latin America.
• 💭 Reading the scriptures with the poor and marginalized gave the speaker a new dimension of understanding to the story of Jesus and the Old Testament.
• 📖 The speaker realized that many of the Old Testament experiences were about people who suffered, were marginalized, enslaved, or were migrants.
• 🗣️ Jesus often spoke to people who were in similar situations of suffering and marginalization, which is a key insight from the speaker's experience.
• 🤔 Being with people in difficult situations and reading the Bible with them provided the speaker with a different and practical insight into the scriptures.
• 👀 The speaker suggests that looking at the scriptures, especially the teachings and life of Jesus, through the eyes of the marginalized can be very enlightening.
• 🌟 The hope and questions of people on the margins are highlighted as particularly important when reading the Bible in this way.
• 🔄 The speaker's experience has led to a shift in how they view the scriptures, even though they are no longer in the same situation as before.
• 💡 The speaker finds this particular way of looking at the scriptures and the teachings of Jesus to be very helpful in understanding the experiences of those on the margins.

Q & A

What is the speaker's background that they mention in the transcript?

The speaker comes from a middle-class background, has had a good education, and has experienced a solid family life with many protections.

What was the speaker's experience in South America that influenced their approach to reading the Bible?

The speaker spent time in South America living with very poor people, which encouraged them to read the scriptures through the eyes of those who are poor and marginalized.

How did the speaker's perception of the Bible change after living in Latin America?

The speaker's perception of the Bible changed as they realized that many of the experiences written about in the Old Testament and the people Jesus spoke to were about those who had been suffering and marginalized.

What new dimension did the speaker find in the story of Jesus and the people of God after their time in Latin America?

The speaker found that the story of Jesus and the people of God took on a whole other dimension, as they saw the scriptures through the perspective of those in similar situations of suffering and marginalization.

Why does the speaker find reading the Bible with people on the margins helpful?

The speaker finds it helpful because it provides a different insight into the scriptures, allowing them to understand the teachings and life of Jesus from the perspective of those who are suffering and marginalized.

What is the significance of reading the scriptures with people who are suffering and marginalized?

Reading the scriptures with people who are suffering and marginalized allows for a deeper understanding of the experiences and messages in the Bible, as many of the stories and teachings are directly related to their situations.

How does the speaker's experience in Latin America continue to influence their current approach to the scriptures?

Even though the speaker is not in the same situation now, their experience in Latin America has given them a particular way of looking at the scriptures that continues to be insightful and relevant.

What kind of people did the speaker encounter in South America that affected their reading of the scriptures?

The speaker encountered very poor people, those who had been made slaves or migrants, and people who didn't have much to live on.

How does the speaker describe the hope and questions of people on the margins?

The speaker does not explicitly describe the hope and questions but implies that their experiences and perspectives offer a unique insight into the scriptures.

What can readers learn from the speaker's approach to reading the Bible?

Readers can learn the value of understanding the scriptures from different perspectives, particularly those of people who are marginalized and suffering, to gain a more comprehensive and empathetic understanding.

How might the speaker's approach to reading the Bible apply to other religious or philosophical texts?

The speaker's approach suggests that reading any text through the eyes of those who are different from us can provide new insights and a deeper understanding of the text's messages and themes.