Here is a new recipe for beef-barley stew that I’m planning on trying. Brown and sear one pound of beef cut up into cubes. Add salt, onions, shallots, barley, and water. Simmer until tender. Finish by adding milk and crushed garlic.

A lot of things have changed and we’ve learned a lot since the time of Moses. In medicine we now understand the role of bacteria and viruses, have antibiotics and vaccines, and know that epilepsy is not caused by demons. It took a long time, but we learned that the earth revolves around the sun, and we’ve even walked on the moon. In science we’ve discovered nuclear energy and the structure of DNA. The biggest changes may have come in communication; we’ve gone from scrolls to printing presses, telephones, radio, television and now the internet. The industrial revolution greatly changed society, politics and the environment. If we were to consider art, music and other cultural activities we would see the same.

While I am amazed about how the world has changed over the millennia, I am also struck by how much has not changed. For example, the recipe above was recently discovered in Egypt and is believed to be four thousand years old; not only do I want to try it, but I think I’ve seen similar recipes in modern cookbooks. As far as I can tell the basic human condition is unchanged. There are ancient stories depicting theft, conflict, assault, lust, rape, murder, wars, and genocide. On the positive side there are also stories of friendship, selfless service, love, sacrifice, and courage. While expressions of emotions and feelings have big cultural differences and have evolved through the ages, underneath they seem universal: contempt, anger, fear, pride, embarrassment, love, and joy.

We can be grateful that God’s unconditional love for YOU and me is one of the things that has remained constant, and while through study and scholarship we have gained new insight into the Bible, its underlying message has also stayed the same. David’s words in the twenty-third Psalm have soothed souls for three thousand years. God’s challenge to Isaiah in Chapter 6 together with his response of “Here I am!” has provided lasting motivation; for example, it inspired the wonderful contemporary hymn “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky” by Daniel Schutte. As Christians, Christ’s death and resurrection is as life-saving to us today as it was to the original disciples two thousand years ago. Praise God!

Jim