February 19, Thursday Weekday

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.-- Psalm 102:20

Mass readings: Genesis 9:1-13 / Mark 8:27-33

Shark Behavior

Occasionally a Bible story has one verse that seems a little off. In today's story of God giving the earth to Noah and his descendants, it's ''Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth.'' I'd like to ask God, ''With all due respect, have You observed the behavior of wasps, grizzly bears and sharks?''

The verse intrigues me, but it doesn't bother me. I don't read the Bible with a view to poking holes in it. My good friend Hans, who reads Hebrew like it was third-grade English, can probably explain it. What's guaranteed in the Bible is the truth necessary for salvation. If the human author of Genesis wasn't fully accurate about animal behavior, that's not going to lead me astray.

Prayer: Creator God, lead me to what's important when I read Your inspired word.