Ouch!
If I said Cinderella to you, what's the first thing that would come to mind?
A glass slipper? A pumpkin turning into a carriage? The ugly sisters having their eyes plucked out by pigeons?Yes you read that correctly and I was as shocked as you were when I first read that in the Grimm's original telling of this classic story. Though I was gently led into it by the sisters cutting off either their big toe or heel so their foot could fit into the famous slipper.
How come I came across this horror you may ask? Well, the latest challenge set by an email writers group that I'm part of, is to modernise the Cinderella story, and to tell it from the perspective of one of the ugly sisters, using 300 words or less.
I was struggling a little so I decided to go back to the original source material by the Brothers Grimm and was quite horrified when I did.
No mention of a fairy godmother, no mention of a kindly buttons, no pumpkin. It some ways it's good that it's been sanitised. You wouldn't want a child to be having nightmares after having this delightful story read to them.
This got me thinking of the Bible and how often that is changed in our society or even taken out of context.
I'm a big fan of the Message because it touches my heart and spirit in ways that the NIV doesn't. Psalm 9:9-10 is a perfect example:
God’s a safe-house for the battered,
a sanctuary during bad times.
The moment you arrive, you relax;
you’re never sorry you knocked.
I'm a member of Wycliffe Bible translators. I edit our prayer diary, run our twitter prayer account and also write a weekly prayer email. As the Message is a paraphrase, I'm not really allowed to use it, which sometimes frustrates me as I love the way that God's word is expressed. Having said that, do we realise how blessed we are to have the Bible at all, when one in five people around the world don't have the Bible in the language they understand best?
I'd love to hear what passage of the Bible, in whatever version you prefer, most speaks to your heart.
Now, I'm off to try and get into the head of a modern day ugly sister!
Martin is a writer, baker, photographer and storyteller. He's been published in the ACW Christmas anthology and Lent devotional. He's currently honing his craft at flash fiction and you can find him on Twitter here.
This really appealed to me, Martin! I do remember reading many of the Grimm Brothers tales, and never were two men more aptly named. I love the way you've woven it into how the Bible can be read out of context. I too love The Message translation. It often speaks to me in a way that other translations don't.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth, that's so good to hear. I had an interesting conversation with Amy Robinson at Scargill when she shared some Grimm insights into traditional fairy tales. I felt that I had to link it to our faith in some way and this seemed the ideal way to do it. I believe that the Message has made God's word accessible to so many people, and I am deeply indebted to Eugene Peterson and all the work he carried out. Can't wait to meet him in Heaven!
DeleteNow, sanitising the Bible, there’s a thought. We do it all the time for our children; the walls come tumbling down but no one’s hurt – and they didn’t have to use a weapon big or small. We don’t go on to what happened next – every person and every animal was murdered in cold blood.
ReplyDeleteI like the Message, too. Having read your verse, I wondered how they managed with the challenge of Psalm 137 verse 9:
“Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies and smashes their heads on the rocks!” No sanitising there. The setting is Babylon, in what is now modern day Iraq – things don’t seem to have changed much.
My wife and I are supporters of the Wycliffe Bible translators and SIL. We worked alongside them a few years back in South Sudan. The Bible transforms lives but I would love to know how we deal with the violence and the genocide within its pages. This is specially relevant in South Sudan. If you have any ideas, do let me know.
A favourite passage? How about the first three chapters of Ephesians.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.” Eph 1.11 (Message Version).
Hi Trevor, thanks for your thought provoking reply.
DeleteThat is wonderful to hear about how you too have also been a supporter and worked alongside Wycliffe.
Your question is a good one, and it's certainly something I can bring up when I see my colleagues next week when we have our team meeting. I'll get back to you on that.
That's a wonderful verse you chose, and sums up perfectly just how wonderful and important is our relationship with Jesus.
I love the Message too. Sometimes it just says it as it is, and that passage you've quoted does it particularly well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fran. Really appreciate you commenting.
DeleteI could share so many of them, but this one always makes me smile.
Romans 14:6 'if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli.'
I love love love The Message and use it for my devotional times. When I got my first copy, it was like I'd been given the Bible for the first time. Familiar (over-familiar?) passages came alive and touched me afresh. I find its Americanisms an intrusion sometimes, but overlook them for the joy that is elsewhere. Some people are very sniffy about it, and they have valid reasons, but in its pages I find a God who speaks my language.
ReplyDeleteOh that is beautiful to hear, Jane. I can't remember when I first came across it but I know that I have many underlined and highlighted passages and it's a lot more tatty than my NIV study bible. So glad to read your comment :)
Delete