If I remember correctly....I along with some buddies who were giving me a farewell....saw the film M*A*S*H at a drive-in theater just days before I left for overseas. The television show MASH first aired on September 17th, 1972...two days before I got out of the army. The show finally ended in March of 1983 with the episode title of Goodbye, Farewell, And Amen.....but in a few minutes....thirty-five years later....here in Pittsburgh anyway....consecutive reruns of MASH will be aired. I have probably seen every episode over the years....all 250 some of them....and will probably watch five or ten minutes of the reruns that are coming on soon.
There is one particular episode that I want to bring up in this post.....titled The Rooster Crowed At Midnight. It was winter in Korea and everyone at the 4077th was bored out of their mind....with nothing new to read. BJ received a book in the mail....the title of which was that of the title of the episode. At one point Hawkeye said...."I'd sell my soul for a laundry list to read."....whereas BJ....having a new book and gloating replied...."Go over to the mess tent and read the alphabet soup." They all compromised by tearing out pages and chapters so that they could pass them around for everyone to read instead of having to wait for someone to read the entire book.
Well this is how my mind works..... I'm imagining the same scene where everyone wants something....anything to read....and the only thing that they have is a Bible....of which the last four words written within all of God's Word are....Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. I could see Hawkeye and Charles and the rest in my mind tearing the pages out to pass around.....maybe whole books of the Bible.....(you know this type of thing actually happens in areas of the world where owning a Bible is forbidden....where a Bible becomes more valuable than gold.....which it is!)
If I remember right.....in one scene of the MASH episode.....BJ or someone reads out loud so that all could hear....and so I imagine this scene:
BJ....."OK....I'll read it out loud to everyone......here's something from something called....two Peter."
Father Mulcahey....."That's....First Peter BJ."
BJ....."Thank you Father......'This now....beloved....the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder....that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.....know this first of all....that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking....following after their own lusts'."
Hawkeye....."I've been following my own lusts for years....it's where the girls are.....they should make a movie by that name."
Radar......."Hawkeye.....shush.....my mother says you should read the Bible with reverence."
Hawkeye......"We don't have anyone here named Reverence to read it with."
BJ......."Listen up or I'm reading all alone.....'and saying....where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep....all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.....but the day of the Lord will come like a thief....in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat....and the earth and its works will be burned up"....(and a few verses later)....."and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation....just as also our beloved brother Paul....according to the wisdom given him....wrote to you.....as in all his letters....speaking in them of these things hard to understand....with which the untaught and unstable distort....as they do also the rest of the Scriptures....to their own destruction. You therefore....beloved....knowing this beforehand....be on your guard lest....being carried away by the error of unprincipled men....you fall from your own steadfastness....but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
The sound of choppers.....and they all hurry to the sound.....except Radar who says to no one...."I think I remember my mother reading this to me.....I wonder if she's praying for me right now?"
Colonel Potter sticks his head back in the door...."Come om Radar.....we'll get back to the holy book later."
There is one particular episode that I want to bring up in this post.....titled The Rooster Crowed At Midnight. It was winter in Korea and everyone at the 4077th was bored out of their mind....with nothing new to read. BJ received a book in the mail....the title of which was that of the title of the episode. At one point Hawkeye said...."I'd sell my soul for a laundry list to read."....whereas BJ....having a new book and gloating replied...."Go over to the mess tent and read the alphabet soup." They all compromised by tearing out pages and chapters so that they could pass them around for everyone to read instead of having to wait for someone to read the entire book.
Well this is how my mind works..... I'm imagining the same scene where everyone wants something....anything to read....and the only thing that they have is a Bible....of which the last four words written within all of God's Word are....Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. I could see Hawkeye and Charles and the rest in my mind tearing the pages out to pass around.....maybe whole books of the Bible.....(you know this type of thing actually happens in areas of the world where owning a Bible is forbidden....where a Bible becomes more valuable than gold.....which it is!)
If I remember right.....in one scene of the MASH episode.....BJ or someone reads out loud so that all could hear....and so I imagine this scene:
BJ....."OK....I'll read it out loud to everyone......here's something from something called....two Peter."
Father Mulcahey....."That's....First Peter BJ."
BJ....."Thank you Father......'This now....beloved....the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder....that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.....know this first of all....that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking....following after their own lusts'."
Hawkeye....."I've been following my own lusts for years....it's where the girls are.....they should make a movie by that name."
Radar......."Hawkeye.....shush.....my mother says you should read the Bible with reverence."
Hawkeye......"We don't have anyone here named Reverence to read it with."
BJ......."Listen up or I'm reading all alone.....'and saying....where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep....all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.....but the day of the Lord will come like a thief....in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat....and the earth and its works will be burned up"....(and a few verses later)....."and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation....just as also our beloved brother Paul....according to the wisdom given him....wrote to you.....as in all his letters....speaking in them of these things hard to understand....with which the untaught and unstable distort....as they do also the rest of the Scriptures....to their own destruction. You therefore....beloved....knowing this beforehand....be on your guard lest....being carried away by the error of unprincipled men....you fall from your own steadfastness....but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
The sound of choppers.....and they all hurry to the sound.....except Radar who says to no one...."I think I remember my mother reading this to me.....I wonder if she's praying for me right now?"
Colonel Potter sticks his head back in the door...."Come om Radar.....we'll get back to the holy book later."
