Monday, April 18, 2011

luke reviews: gilgamesh

In the summer of 2008 I decided that my brain was turning to mush (mom's words) and did a google search for the "top 100 books ever written." This is what I found:

The top 100 books of all time

You may argue there are books on this list that shouldn't be, and others that have been left out. And I'll let you do that. But as a 21 year old I didn't much care about that, I just needed something to read off of. So I started with "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austin. That summer I completed a couple more (Ovid, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, etc.) and was feeling pretty good about my progress. Then life happened. I went back to Belmont, had to do school, ended up at Brookwoods the next summer, ended/started again/ended a relationship, and began working at Harvest Hands. All this time I've been attempting to read off this list, with limited success. In the fall of 2009 my friend Claire gave me her copy of "Gilgamesh," but I never started reading it. So Sunday morning before church I decided that I was going to start it. And last night after a day of, Dose, Downtown Presbyterian Church, mowing the yard, Jazz at the Frist, Vishnu exhibit at the Frist, and the Saucer/Preds game with Rob, I finished it. I was reading the "new english version," to be fair. So it was more "The Message" than the KJV.

I don't know how many of you have read this Mesopotamian epic so I'll recount a little of it.

Gilgamesh is the man. He's the greatest there is, "perfect." But he's also kind of a jerk. And by kind of, I mean he exercises his right to have sex with new brides to his fullest. So his people call out to their gods complaining that Gilgamesh is going too far. So they create an equal for him, someone to complete him. Thus Enkidu is formed. He runs with the animals in the forests, eats what they eat and drinks the water they drink. A trapper stumbles upon him and freaks, and eventually goes to Gilgamesh for advice. Gilgamesh tells him to get a temple prostitute to seduce Enkidu, thereby showing the animals he used to run with that he is a man and different than them. Enraged Enkidu goes to fight Gilgamesh, crediting him for this fall. Gilgamesh eventually wins, but they become friends after this fight. After a while they get bored and decide to go fight Humbaba the terrible. He was made by the gods to frighten man away from approaching their mountain. They journey to find him, do, and kill him (with a little help from the gods). After they return home victorious a goddess starts hitting on Gilgamesh and he spurns her advances. She gets pissed, and tells her dad who suggests that there may be a reason why Gilgamesh says the things he did. Not happy about that she has him send the Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the city. They kill the bull showing together they are seemingly unstoppable. But Enkidu falls ill shortly after the victory and eventually dies. Gilgamesh is inconsolable and goes on another quest, this time to find the secret to immortality. He learns that death is the portion given to man, and there is nothing he can do about it.

So there it is, in 305 words. But the real question is this: "what did I think about it?"

I enjoyed the heck out of it, that's what I think about it. I enjoyed this book so much because of the message that is within. There are many different directions I could take with this report, but the one I want to drive around a bit is the idea of brotherhood. Gilgamesh isn't complete until another part of him is created, Enkidu. Enkidu is wild and untamed, Gilgamesh is civil and plays by the rules of (his) society, however bad they may be. But when these two get together they can kick some butt and take some names. They do the impossible together. On their journey to Humbaba Gilgamesh is constantly haunted by dreams, which Enkidu interprets positively for him. At the moment when he could strike the killing blow to this beast he falters, until Enkidu strengthens him. At the edge of Humbaba's lair Enkidu fears for his life, and Gilgamesh encourages him on. They work together for the betterment of each other. Yet when Enkidu falls ill and feels he will die Gilgamesh doesn't seem to care to much, telling him he'll get better. And after his death Gilgamesh is only concerned with finding a way to make his own life go on, showing us that this brotherhood isn't perfect. None ever are.

I'm thankful for the "brotherhoods" that I have been a part of. Weather they are from Antioch Bible Baptist Church, Belmont University, Brookwoods and Deer Run, or Harvest Hands they mean the world to me. So if you have been a part of any of those circles, thank you for living life with me.

I also wanted to tell a story from my own life.

Last Thursday I was at Gabby's enjoying a Mattadelphia sandwich and some fruit tea. A man, late middle aged, sat down next to me at the bar. We started chatting about whatever it is you talk to a stranger about, only being interrupted when his food is delivered and he prays for it. My first thought was "I wonder if he loves Jesus?" My second was "I should pray more." He finishes and starts on his burger, while I am just finishing my sandwich. He mentions that he used to go to Fat Mo's (another burger joint in town) until he found out that it was owned "by one of them towlheads."  I said I liked the burgers, finished my meal, and went back to work disappointed. So my question is this: how can we love Jesus but not our neighbors? How can we claim to be His, but hate those who's only difference from us is beliefs? I understand that those beliefs and values may run contrary to ours, but aren't we called to love?

I think we are, and that's what I'm gonna try to do. It's racist to assume that people are bad because of their race. That's all there is to it.

As David, one of my fifth graders at work, once said: "Labels are for cans, not people."

Luke
luketlancaster@gmail.com

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