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Leviatan

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By
Leviathan *

Terwyl ek die stuk oor Patat (Sien Watchitometer) geskryf het waarin ek noem dat hy jou soms hap, het ‘n gedeelte uit Job aanhoudend by my opgekom: “Kan jy 'n krokodil met 'n hoek vang of hom 'n tou in die bek sit? Kan jy 'n lyn deur sy neus steek of sy kakebene met 'n hoek vastrek? Sal hy jou soebat om genade of by jou mooipraat? Sal hy 'n ooreenkoms met jou aangaan om vir altyd jou slaaf te wees?” (Job 40:20-23) . Dalk is dit omdat ek meen hy is net so onafhanklik ontembaar soos die krokodil as hy eers daardie ore plattrek. Die hele dinkery het my egter weer op ander spore gesit.

In byna al die Engelse vertalings en in die oorspronklike Hebreeuse teks self word nie van krokodil nie, maar van die Leviatan – die Hebreeuse naam vir ‘n groot seemonster - gepraat. Dit gaan nie hier vir my om wat die beste vertaling van die gedeelte in Job is nie. Die onderliggende tema is gewoon iets baie groter as die mens wat vrees inboesem en waarteen ons vermoëns en kragte nie opweeg nie. Persoonlik hou ek van Leviatan omdat dit vir my beter uitdrukking gee aan al daardie dinge wat ons met angs en beklemming vul en waarvoor ons nie altyd ‘n naam het nie.

Ons almal het al op een of ander stadium iets daarvan beleef en omdat dit so na aan die been sny kan ons selfs verleë lag vir Gilbert Sorrentino se opstapeling:

“If God be with us, who can be against us?
Strategic Air Command, New York Yankees, First Marine Division… Army of Northern Virginia, the Administration, Japanese Marines… 82nd Airborne Division, Viet Cong, Zeros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Army of Potomac, Adolf Hitler Division, Apaches, the times, Internal Revenue Service, Camp Pickett, diseased whores, Crazy Horse, Nelson Rockefeller, book reviewers, Stukas, 2nd Army, People’s Republic of China, KP, pushers, the customs, bookmakers, Geheime Staatspolizei, CIA, Platoon sergeants, the odds, Fort Hood, San Francisco Giants, narcotics dealers, the past, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the rich, the future, landlords, and the advertising business. Others on request.”

Hy raak ‘n sensitiewe onderwerp aan wanneer hy Paulus se vraag in Rom 8:31, “Wat is nou ons gevolgtrekking oor al hierdie dinge? Dít: God is vír ons, wie kan dan teen ons wees?” vat en die antwoord daarop as’t ware op sy kop keer. Dit is inderdaad so, as gelowiges sal ons met groot oortuiging kan beaam dat ons veilig in God is, maar lewe asof byna alles bedreigend of ten minste teen ons is. Ons het dikwels geen probleem om Leviatan in die waters rondom ons raak te sien nie. Sommige sal Sorrentino se lys selfs nog verder kan aanvul: “Pas ook op en wees baie versigtig vir die Moslems, die Hindoes en Oosterse ivloede soos Zen. Meditasie is gevaarlik omdat dit vir die bose ‘n vastrapplek kan gee. Vermy hierdie en daardie boeke, denke en praktyke want dis New Age…” 

Die resultaat is telkens dat laer getrek, veroordeel, uitgesluit en vermy word. Dit lei tot kleinlikheid, agterdog, vyandigheid en ‘n skraal bestaan.

Ek wil nie so lewe nie. Ek wil hê dat God se sorg, oopheid en ligtheid wat ek al hoe meer ervaar alles sal kleur en elke faset van my alledaagse sal oorspoel. Die groter prentjie agter die prentjie moet my help om perspektief te behou en om nie vir die geringste dingetjie uitgelewer te voel aan my angste en benoudhede nie.

Die kontemplatiewe spiritualiteit oor die algemeen en meer spesifiek my stilword en meditasie in die oggende help my geweldig baie daarmee. Dit bring my telkens terug na daardie punt wat Sheila Cussons so mooi uitdruk in haar gedig Die Gesig. Sy vat my weer terug na Patat en die krokodil en die Leviatan toe en brei uit op die Here se vraag aan Job in Job 40:24, “Sal jy hom [Leviatan] kan mak maak soos 'n voëltjie of kan jy hom met 'n lyn vasmaak vir jou dogtertjies?” Daar waar ons langs Job sit moet ons saam met hom erken dat ons nie kan nie. Maar God, vir Hom is dit iets heel, heel anders:

Die Gesig

Duiselig dof van son en pyn
kyk Job op en sien
verwonderd God deur die lande
loop met sy dogtertjie aan die hand
druk in gesprek en hoe sy tóé met
‘n skielike vreugdekreet
vorentoe dans met agter haar aan
hondmak aan ‘n lintjie, Leviatan. 


Ja, Leviatan aan ‘n lintjie, dis waarheen die kontemplatiewe lewe en my meditasie my telkens terugbring. Ek hou daarvan. Dis ‘n meer getroue weergawe van die werklikheid.


George

* Bron: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/36779674/images/1418684272297.jpg


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