Brothers! - October Bible drabbles 8

“I don’t like my brothers,” said Joseph, whose brothers dreamed of killing him or throwing him away. Meanwhile young Joseph dreamed of brothers bowing down to him.

“I don’t like you at all,” said Joseph when his brothers sold him as a slave.

“I don’t like my mistress,” when the woman preyed on him.

“I don’t like jail,” when the doors were closed.

“I don’t like nightmares.” Screeching birds stealing bread, wine drippnig like blood, cannibal cows and crippled grain, and a pharaoh filled with fear.

“We’re hungry,” said the brothers, bowing down to pharaoh’s friend. They liked him now.

Real God's not fickle - October Bible drabbles 7

Abraham knew God called him. He knew God gave him victories in war. He knew God gave him his son. But Abraham’s neighbors knew something more. They knew gods were fickle and needed gifts, or else they’d take away more than they offered. A real god wouldn’t let Abraham strut around with a second perfect child. “So kill him,” they said. “Your god needs to know you’re willing.”

Isaac knew God called him. He knew God loved and cared for him. So he carried the wood for sacrifice and he trusted something good. Their real God wasn’t fickle after all.

Towering Terrors - October Bible drabbles 6

No one knew what they’d find at the top of the tower. A monstrous dragon with fiery breath perhaps. A fearsome demon with eyes all red. A god with thunderbolts in either hand. But just imagine—if they could ride the dragon, they’d conquer all their enemies; if they could tame the demon they’d have slaves till the end of time; if they could control thunderbolts then everybody would fear them. It was worth climbing those thousand steps, worth carrying a thousand stones, worth ignoring those who fell from lofty heights before the end. Then the tower fell. They lost.

Beware the Nephilim - October Bible drabbles 5

“That guy’s a giant,” they said when they saw him approach; huge-boned, wide-bodied, and stronger than an ox. “That guy’s scary. That guy’s not one of us.” They threw their stones and tried to chase him away. Then the girl disappeared.

“That guy’s evil,” they said as they drank their wine. “That guy’s a monster. That guy’s not even human.” They threw their knives instead of stones and tried to chase him away. Then the girl came home.

“That guy’s my husband,” said the girl. “I need your aid to heal him.” And those were the days of the Nephilim.

When Life Is Good - October's Bible drabbles 4

The river’s drying. No-one cares. The sky’s on fire, but no-one dares deny that life is good; so they won’t change. The end is coming. Build a boat. A boat won’t sail on river-beds. The land is dead. They’ll seed a wider field instead.

Old Noah led his flock inside, his wife, his kids and grandkids, sheep and goats, a cow or two, some birds who’d taken roost inside the roof.

The sky’s all smoke. The field’s all broken. No-one dares deny that life is good.

The swollen river rose like heaven’s fist in mighty waves. Only old Noah’s saved.

Ear-Worm - October's Bible drabbles 3

I whispered once in heaven’s ear. I told him in wouldn’t work, but did he listen? Did he hear? I whispered fire in the burning star and taught it to explode, but he made planets from the seeds exposed. I whispered dark volcanoes; he made plants to clear the air. I whispered shifting waters; he made fish and birds and mammals and made man.

I whispered once in the woman’s ear. She learned to disobey him. I rejoiced.

I whispered in the young man’s ear. He learned to kill his brother. I rejoiced.

I’m whispering in your ear too. Listen.

Just Testing The Boundaries - October's Bible drabbles 2

She only wanted to test and try; she only wanted to taste and pry sweet fruit that dangled high; she wanted to treasure it so why be denied? She only wanted a moment to do an action wholly her own, to choose a path not overgrown with dues and don’ts. She only wanted to see if what was forbidden could be as harmful as she’d been told. She only wanted... too much.

And he, not so bold, only wanted that she be the one who took the fruit and blame and carried all the shame.

The snake wants it all.

In The Beginning - October's Bible drabbles 1

In the beginning, in the silence, in the emptiness of space; in that nowhere place where no-one can hear you scream; in the shadowed wastes of deep dark pits of chaos; in the blackest black hole, God created order and said, “Let there be light.”

In the beginning, when visions streamed in glory from hell’s all-swallowing halls, God made holiness, and the whole new universe began.

In the beginning, this was what we gained; God’s law was wholly wise and gave all we’d ever need, but we, God-made, all disobeyed. Then all creation screamed. In the beginning, let us pray.

The Final Page in the Month of Love - 28

It ends the way it all began. Two trees again. One land. And rivers flow. It ends when finally the tale is told. Then, in a city made of light, no tears are shed, no pain, no mourning sorrow shall remain. It ends, and in that place we’ll meet again.

Then, though a quarter shall be lost, yet all are found. And though third should fail, still all succeed. And though the whole is wrapped up, rolled into a final scroll, yet all again becomes our world of men. And he, who loved, who loves, will be with us, eternally.

Telling of Love in the Month of Love - 27

They risked it all for love. Poor fishermen, out-of-work taxmen, students of law, refugees, women and men; they traveled the world to tell of him. They lost their homes for him. They lost their livelihoods. They were imprisoned, beaten, stoned, thrown out of town. They sailed and suffered shipwrecks, were bitten by snakes and survived, and all for love. They told the world, because they loved him, and because the world needed to learn there is a way, a better way, a hopeful way, a truthful way, a way that isn’t stained by war and sin; that way is him.

Love. Loss and Hope in the Month of Love - 26

They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never love at all. But what if it’s your fault your love is lost, through your betrayal? The one had hoped to make him change; instead he saw him die. The other hoped to hide away; instead the strangers caught him by the fire. And now both knew they’d done what neither ever dreamed to do. He who they loved had died.

In sudden dark, in aching gloom, in terrors of the night, one killed himself. The other, waiting still, survived and saw him rise. But could he love again?

A Loving Son in the Month of Love - 25

The child learned to bake bread with yeast. He learned to put fresh wine into new skins. He learned to wait for figs to ripen, to build on good foundations, to plant the seed and watch it grow in fields and die on paths. He learned how mothers search for missing coins, how they mend clothes, how fishermen throw out their nets, and shepherds watch their sheep. He learned it all, because he loved them all.

In the end, he grew up, taught his friends, and learned to die for us because he loves us all. His name is Jesus.

Angel Voices in the Month of Love - 24

Mary loved Joseph and longed to be married. She looked forward so much to being the mother of his children. But one day God sent an angel to Mary and told her she would be mother to a very different child. When Joseph heard she was pregnant he wept and said he couldn’t marry her after all. But God sent an angel to Joseph too and told him the babe was God’s son, sent to save the whole world.

Why would God send a child into this messy, broken place?

“Because he loves you,” the angels sang. “Glory to God.”

A Child of Love in the Month of Love - 23

By some strange miracle, it was Zachariah’s turn to serve in the Temple. He entered the Holy place. He placed the coals on God’s altar and started to pray. But he really wasn’t expecting any answers, especially not an angel; and surely not an angel bearing the message that his wife was with child. After all, she was old. True, Zachariah loved Elizabeth even though she was barren. But could God love her so much he’d give her son after all these years? “His name will be John,” the angel said. “And you will be silent now, before your God!”

Oil of Mercy in the Month of Love - 22

In times of peace and times of war, God’s people, who loved and were loved by God, prayed fervently in God’s Temple. But an evil conqueror broke their altars, defiled their sacred places with statues, and polluted God's courts with sickening foods. The conqueror banned God’s people from their Temple, but Judah the Hammer led them back... Until now, at last, it was time for priests to stand in God’s presence again. But there wasn’t enough oil to light their lamps. 

Then God, who loved his people, kept those oil lamps burning long enough for more oil to be pressed. 

Saved by Love in the Month of Love - 21

Esther was just a refugee, one of God’s people trapped in a foreign land when the war was done. But one day the foreign king said he wanted a wife, and chose Esther. So she became queen. Then the king sent out a decree that all refugees must die. Esther was sure he’d kill her if he found out who she was. But she prayed to God for help. Then she begged the king to set her people free. God loved Esther and the king loved her too, and so she didn’t die. Because of love, the refugees were saved.

Of Lions, Kings and Love - 20

Daniel was a child when he was taken prisoner. His captors offered him royal food, but Daniel would only eat foods allowed by his God. His captors told him to bow to a royal statue, but Daniel refused to bow, except to his God. His captors trained him to be wise, but Daniel was wiser still because he loved God. When Daniel was an old man, his captors were captured, and Daniel worked for the king who conquered them. Lions wouldn’t eat Daniel, liars couldn’t destroy him, and kings couldn’t kill him, because Daniel loved and trusted and obeyed God.

Love and Forgiveness - 19

Hosea was a prophet. He loved God and listened to God and obeyed God and told people God’s words.

One day God told Hosea to marry a woman whom nobody liked. Hosea loved the woman and listened to woman and tried to please the woman, but she ran away. Then God told Hosea to follow her. Hosea found the woman and loved the woman and tried again to please her, but she still ran away.

Then God told Hosea, God’s love for his people is just like Hosea’s love for his wandering wife. Hosea cried, and God’s love never ends.

A still small voice in the month of love - 18

When God’s people split in two, and God’s priests split themselves between Temples and mountains and plains, and God’s prophets split into arguments and complaints, God chose Elijah to deliver his message to people, rich and plain. Elijah conquered the wind and rain in God’s name, but he couldn’t conquer fear, so he ran away. Then God sent an angel to feed Elijah in the desert. He sent a storm to rage at him on the mountain, an earthquake to shake him, and roaring flames. But the voice of God was still and small and gentle, resounding with love again.

A Mother's Love in the Month of Love - 17

Once there was a mother who loved her baby, but another woman stole the child away.

“Thief,” cried the mother, but, “No. You’re a liar,” the other woman replied.

Soon nobody knew whose child this was, so they took the two women to court to sort it out.

The king said the fairest thing was to cut the child in half.

Then one woman laughed and said, “Yes,” while the other cried, “No. Give her the child.”

The king turned to the woman who said no and gave back her son. “I can tell he’s yours because you love him.”