AUSTRALIA MYTHOLOGY
In this title, I use Homo sapiens as a symbol of developing understanding and responsibility.
Let me begin by looking back at some religious and mythological traditions.
In this exploration, I consider how ideas may have been expressed in language suited to the understanding of people in their own time.
According to the biblical tradition, Moses received the Ten Commandments.
One of them says: “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Another says: “You shall not murder.”
I see these short statements as a starting point for reflection on human conduct and responsibility.
Ancient Greek mythology offers another language of stories and symbols.
Pandora’s box, Aphrodite, Apollo and Sisyphus are among the examples I want to explore.
My interpretation is that such stories can carry meanings that go beyond their literal events.
I then turn to Jesus, whose life became the reference point for the numbering of years in the calendar widely used today.
In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says that he came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets rather than abolish them.
In Luke 8:17, he says that what is hidden will eventually be revealed.
These are two statements I want to consider in this exploration.
Many later thinkers and teachers have also offered ways of understanding our existence.
My question is how we distinguish the original message from the interpretations added by later generations.
I will gradually add further reflections to this text.
