Reflection on class 9-2-07

Anna Hemphill

We talked about covenants - promises that in an oral culture are sealed by an oath and presented with a witness. Covenants have always existed in religion; I most directly think of the word as God's promise to His people throughout the Bible. Some of the great prophets - Noah, Moses, Abraham - in deep communion with God hear His voice and accept His oaths as they are revealed through miracles. But what does the word 'covenant' mean to today's society? Does the fact that we have gone from orality to literacy affect our attitudes about the power of covenants, promises, oaths?

We discussed in class that spoken words are fleeting - they go in and out of existence. Physical objects (words on a page) are permanent because our eyes tell us so. We can gaze at something for as long as we want, but to listen is momentary - once we hear a sound, that sound is gone forever. If it is true that spoken words are fleeting, what makes the words of a covenant so meaningful and strong? Maybe it is the fact that by uttering a promise, we engage physically in the act. The breath that makes up the words, the physical sensation of talking brings us into communion with those who are a part of the oath. The American Heritage College Dictionary says that covenant as a verb can be "to enter into a covenant." Covenant then seems to be a place. A person does something, goes somewhere when they have made a covenant. There is a transformation of some kind.

People today do not seem to have the same reverence for these promises, these covenants. I believe the bond of marriage to be the most sacred human communion, and the vow taken at the wedding to be some of the most powerful words a person can say in his or her life. Granted, I see marriage as a triune relationship between man, woman, and God - God being the center of the two becoming one. But the words a man and woman vow to each other at the wedding are a covenant not to be broken. A covenant by its very nature cannot be broken - it is a binding agreement. But some people today do not see marriage as this type of promise. Words do not hold the same meaning for our society today - words really can be momentary and fleeting, holding almost no power in our fast paced world. I really try to live by the words I say, to not say anything unless I really mean it because words are powerful and not to be underestimated.