Our Daily Bread: One Slice of How Archaeology Can Illuminate Our Understanding of the Bible
When we meet someone in person for the first time, after hearing about them or corresponding with them online, we always say, “It’s great to put a face with a name!”
Seeing something - or someone - first hand, helps flesh-out the picture we have in our mind and deepen our understanding in a way that nothing else can. This is what Dr. Robin Knauth, a professor of Old Testament and Biblical Archaeology at Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA), gets to do every day with the foundational stories of our faith.
As Dr. Knauth walked us through hows, whys, and whats of an archaeological dig, she showed us how first-hand encounters with the historic record under our feet can help illumin what the Bible means and help us better appreciate the words passed down to us from such a different time and place, bringing those words to life in a new way.
In particular, Dr. Knauth shared how one recurring find - seemingly simple, though strangely uniform holes - can help shape what we believe and what the people in the Bible knew about bread. This one example, a staple of life across regions and centuries, makes tangible an idea at the very heart of our faith and sacraments.
Creatively designing your pandemic life - and beyond!
Designing a Better Life In Hard Times
A lot of us have been feeling stuck lately, like life is on “pause” during the COVID-19 crisis, and we’re just waiting for real life to begin again when restrictions are lifted. Julianna Hutchins speaks to this weird, in-between time, by reminding us that our real life is this current life and we don’t have to be in a rut.
Though things may be different than we’re used to, or what we planned or hoped - wherever you are in life, we can use this opportunity to think more intentionally about how we live and work. Particularly, when it comes to how we use our time and deal with challenges.
That might seem like an overwhelming task - and it CAN BE! That’s why so many of us do it poorly or try to avoid drilling down into the hows and whys of life. Luckily, there’s hope!
In our October brunch, Julianna walked us through simple tools to help rethink our problems and get some insight into both our day-to-day living and long-term planning. The best part? Reorienting ourselves to be more intentional, more productive, and more joyful, isn’t as hard as you may think. With the right questions and the right - holistic - goals, tackling our new reality is suddenly very doable.
Where we’re planted, and what we’re experiencing isn’t an accident - so don’t let it go to waste!