For me there is not an interesting hurricane story to share. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans I had no idea I would end up attending college at Xavier University of Louisiana. Though I have did not experience Hurricane Katrina, Gustav proved to be a scary experience in itself. I can only imagine what Hurricane Katrina was like. I flew all the way home to DC in order to avoid any interaction with the potentially deadly storm. Because I am from the DC Metropolitan area I have many experiences that were somewhat traumatic for those directly affected. The DC sniper, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and heightened airport security are all events that are embedded into my life as a resident of the area. When the sniper was “in town” we were told to walk in a zigzag pattern in an attempt to throw off the aim of the infamous sniper. When the September 11^th attacks occurred schools were shut down and a sense of fear came over not only our area, but the country as a whole. When traveling from Toronto, Canada back home to DC I can recall having to empty my neatly packed suitcase in order for airport security personnel to check for any foreign substances. But I love my home! So how is this theology class you may wonder? The theology class so far is quite interesting. I must admit it is far from what I expected. Going into the course it seemed like a simple requirement, but the more I read the title of the course more I realize the course is going to benefit me. Dr.Homan’s approach so far to teaching is beneficial to many students because it keeps seemingly boring material interesting. Personally I desire a greater understanding of the Bible and the important people in it. This course will hopefully assist in me achieving that goal. I believe the Bible is a book filled with so much information that is surely not evident at first glance. The Bible contains words that were said by our Lord and Savior. That is simply powerful! The Bible contains messages that can be applied to many facets of life and also contains simple instructions on how to serve our God. Growing up I was not exposed to Sunday school and therefore am not familiar with all of the basic stories commonly referred to in everyday conversation. Though this is true my quest for a deep and profound understanding has just begun. By the end of my time in Biblical Studies with Dr.Homan I hope to have become familiar with some of those stories and achieve an even greater understanding of how I can possibly make the world a better place even without having yet achieved a college degree. In terms of the course commitments those requirements should be easy to follow. They are regulations implemented by most teacher in a class room setting and they most definitely require respect towards the teacher, yourself, and your classmates. I plan to email Dr. Homan to formally inform him that I am committing to the classroom decorum requirements.

            In 586 BCE the city of Jerusalem was destroyed a devastating time for many people. In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah the “Weeping Prophet” is said to have written laments about the events that have transpired. He witnesses all of the events and told the tale of Judah and Jerusalem.  Judah is continually disobeying God and has many false idols. Because of this God allows the Babylonians to come and destroy the city. They even destroyed Solomon’s temple which once stood for over 400 years by burning it to the ground. Lamentation 2:17 states, “The LORD has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes.” This verse from the bible clears up the reason why these events did in fact occur.

New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina could most definitely be compared to Jerusalem after its downfall. Two empty cities once vivacious with people and much culture destroyed with in a short period of time. The aftermath of both instances was depressing and many people could not return to the place they once called home. Lamentations 1:1 gives a similar description of how Jerusalem to that of New Orleans post-Katrina, “How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.”  This topic is very pertinent to this course because of that fact that Jerusalem is an important place when attempting to understand the Bible. In addition to the Jerusalem being an important landmark when taking this course, the Merneptah Stele is also important to this course.

The Merneptah Stele though seemingly unimportant to most people is a stone slab with engravings that tell the story of Merneptah’s military victories in Africa and the East. It was discovered in 1876 and is said to contain a statement with the word Israel indicating its existence. This was the source outside of the developing Bible that stated the nation of Israel existed because at this time it had yet to be discovered. It is often called the Israel Stele and is stored in Cairo, Egypt. Israel is another important landmark when referencing biblical stories there making this discovery of this inscribing significant. When analyzing the Bible it is essential to keep in mind that that these stories have been written by humans and that the same event can interpreted in many different ways.

            Dr. Homan provided a useful example of how the exact same event can be portrayed in two different lights. The Babe Ruth movie clips were two movies focusing in on the exact same event. Though this is true the events were acted out in varying manners. The simple concept can be applied to life and especially in this Intro to Biblical Studies course.

The End!!!!

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