Letter 5-2006. Exam.
18th June 2006
Dear friends,
I have had a long period of preparation for my exam and I have not managed to take enough time to finish a letter. But now at last I have the time on my side, and the letter gets finished.
In addition to reading for exam in Hebrew and Old Testament, my term paper in OT has engaged me the most the last weeks. After a longer period without motivation, I luckily got interest for the paper a few weeks before it was to be handed in, and I dug into books about the covenant between God and Israel, as it is expressed in Deuteronomy. The title was “The election of Israel as gift and obligation according to Deuteronomy”.
Some might ask: Did you have to write about that? Of course I didn’t. It was quite voluntarily (if we believe that we have free will). I wanted to write a purely theological paper on the election of Israel, without having to mix anything political, and I had the chance to do that. I wondered how it would be, if I was going to be angry and irritated. I was not. I was positively surprised of the graceful God of Deuteronomy. I managed to write theologically and not even having a small wish to mix anything from today’s political situation.
Tuesday I had my oral exam in OT, to modify the results from the term paper. I got Psalm 2 and felt it was as good or bad as anything else I could have got. It went normally well until I at the end got an unexpected question from the external examiner. The question was about today’s Israeli leaders’ political use of the psalm, and how I looked upon it. I can admit I found the question problematical. I was not sure what the reason for asking like that was and how political I should be. I felt that the strong feelings came and found out that it was best to get out as soon as possible not to say anything stupid. I was very short and said good-bye. Out among my fellow students my feelings got out. It was good to have someone there understanding how disturbed I was, to receive and calm me down. Afterwards I have understood that it was more or less an accident. The examiners didn’t know my background, and they would not have touched the subject if they knew what it did to me. I have also understood that they didn’t want an Israel-friendly answer. The challenge was rather meant to make me think critically.
If the exam was a difficult experience when it happened, I am now glad that it turned out as it did. It is a learning to have sensed how feelings can cancel your ability to reason rationally and theologically. I am also glad I got this challenge to go on. OT is not an isolated subject, or an exam I have finished. It is a subject I want to use actively, and the political use might be just a suggestion on what to spend the summer on. I am soon on my way to Jerusalem.
It is difficult to say no when being asked about being summer sacristan in the Anglican Church in Jerusalem, at least for me having a spiritual home there. The task is mainly related to preparations for the daily offices and services. I have gladly accepted, and Tuesday I leave, to be there until the end of July. I had thought I might find a library with some theologically interesting books while I am there. But now I understand there might be more than reading waiting for me, also engaged discussions to understand more about how Jews today, and especially political leaders in Israel, read for example Psalm 2. I have also felt a desire to help Christian Palestinians to read OT in a healthy way. I can see that it is a great and difficult task. But I have also discovered so much good that we can not lose as Christians. So I think I have enough to do this summer.
At last some words of thanks to life: In the middle of my preparations for my exams I had an experience worth telling about. I guess Norwegian news are not well known for my English speaking friends, but at least in Norway people could know about a student house collapsing late Saturday night last week. I lived there. I have not experienced an earthquake before, but I guess it is similar. I am glad I was a bit later to bed than normal that evening. I was on my way from the bathroom when there was a terrible noise and the house started shaking. It ended with a big crack, and then it was silent. The fastest way out was through the kitchen window, so then I stood there, barefoot in my pyjamas, together with a group of students as confused as I was. Humour helped us through the night. Who had trampled so hard in the floor? Or was there anyone closing the door too eagerly? Was it my fault turning the tap wrongly, perhaps? The last reaction might not have come yet. The house could have fallen down, I guess. It didn’t, luckily. Nobody was wounded. I don’t want to think about the fact that I could have ended my life in the ruin of a student house. But I give thanks for my life and the summer.
Summer greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends,
I have had a long period of preparation for my exam and I have not managed to take enough time to finish a letter. But now at last I have the time on my side, and the letter gets finished.
In addition to reading for exam in Hebrew and Old Testament, my term paper in OT has engaged me the most the last weeks. After a longer period without motivation, I luckily got interest for the paper a few weeks before it was to be handed in, and I dug into books about the covenant between God and Israel, as it is expressed in Deuteronomy. The title was “The election of Israel as gift and obligation according to Deuteronomy”.
Some might ask: Did you have to write about that? Of course I didn’t. It was quite voluntarily (if we believe that we have free will). I wanted to write a purely theological paper on the election of Israel, without having to mix anything political, and I had the chance to do that. I wondered how it would be, if I was going to be angry and irritated. I was not. I was positively surprised of the graceful God of Deuteronomy. I managed to write theologically and not even having a small wish to mix anything from today’s political situation.
Tuesday I had my oral exam in OT, to modify the results from the term paper. I got Psalm 2 and felt it was as good or bad as anything else I could have got. It went normally well until I at the end got an unexpected question from the external examiner. The question was about today’s Israeli leaders’ political use of the psalm, and how I looked upon it. I can admit I found the question problematical. I was not sure what the reason for asking like that was and how political I should be. I felt that the strong feelings came and found out that it was best to get out as soon as possible not to say anything stupid. I was very short and said good-bye. Out among my fellow students my feelings got out. It was good to have someone there understanding how disturbed I was, to receive and calm me down. Afterwards I have understood that it was more or less an accident. The examiners didn’t know my background, and they would not have touched the subject if they knew what it did to me. I have also understood that they didn’t want an Israel-friendly answer. The challenge was rather meant to make me think critically.
If the exam was a difficult experience when it happened, I am now glad that it turned out as it did. It is a learning to have sensed how feelings can cancel your ability to reason rationally and theologically. I am also glad I got this challenge to go on. OT is not an isolated subject, or an exam I have finished. It is a subject I want to use actively, and the political use might be just a suggestion on what to spend the summer on. I am soon on my way to Jerusalem.
It is difficult to say no when being asked about being summer sacristan in the Anglican Church in Jerusalem, at least for me having a spiritual home there. The task is mainly related to preparations for the daily offices and services. I have gladly accepted, and Tuesday I leave, to be there until the end of July. I had thought I might find a library with some theologically interesting books while I am there. But now I understand there might be more than reading waiting for me, also engaged discussions to understand more about how Jews today, and especially political leaders in Israel, read for example Psalm 2. I have also felt a desire to help Christian Palestinians to read OT in a healthy way. I can see that it is a great and difficult task. But I have also discovered so much good that we can not lose as Christians. So I think I have enough to do this summer.
At last some words of thanks to life: In the middle of my preparations for my exams I had an experience worth telling about. I guess Norwegian news are not well known for my English speaking friends, but at least in Norway people could know about a student house collapsing late Saturday night last week. I lived there. I have not experienced an earthquake before, but I guess it is similar. I am glad I was a bit later to bed than normal that evening. I was on my way from the bathroom when there was a terrible noise and the house started shaking. It ended with a big crack, and then it was silent. The fastest way out was through the kitchen window, so then I stood there, barefoot in my pyjamas, together with a group of students as confused as I was. Humour helped us through the night. Who had trampled so hard in the floor? Or was there anyone closing the door too eagerly? Was it my fault turning the tap wrongly, perhaps? The last reaction might not have come yet. The house could have fallen down, I guess. It didn’t, luckily. Nobody was wounded. I don’t want to think about the fact that I could have ended my life in the ruin of a student house. But I give thanks for my life and the summer.
Summer greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 3:13 PM
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