I have never seen a live performance of ‘Hamlet’ before. There, I’ve said it! On the back of my recent revelations that I have never seen ‘The Sound of Music’ or ‘White Christmas’ – it’s possible that you are beginning to despair of me. Well, maybe 2025 can be a year of cultural, er, reinvigoration on my part! I am going to see ‘Hamlet’ in June in Stratford, and am really looking forward to it.
Now, I fully accept that there is no point in me pitching up to several hours of full-on Shakespeare and expect to understand what’s going on, so I have invested in a ‘Classroom Classics’ version of Hamlet. It’s basically pitched at GCSE students. You may think this is daft, but I of course would say, ‘though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.’ (I’ve started). In this version, I have the text on the one side of the page, and on the other, a guide as to what on earth is going on and what the text means. It’s great… by the time I actually go and see the performance, I stand a fighting chance of enjoying and appreciating the play. It strikes me that it’s actually a sensible thing to accept I’ll need a bit of help understanding Shakespeare – why approach a complex text without support?
On my shelves in my study at home, I’ve got dozens and dozens of Bible commentaries which I find are massively helpful in my day to day ministry. I’ve got single-volume Bible commentaries which cover the entire Bible in a small paperback and give a good overview. I’ve got some really good modern commentaries which explore Bible themes and stories, sometimes book by book or sometimes by Biblical character. And I’ve got some hyper-detailed commentaries which dissect the original text and explore textual variants in the earliest copies, different meanings and more. All these commentaries I find are useful for my preaching or leading of Bible studies, Lent lunches, devotional sessions, and are nourishing for me personally too in terms of my faith and how I see the divine at work. I’m benefiting then not just from the Biblical text, but the reflections and wisdom of writers of all kinds.
There are some great Biblical commentaries out there, and if anyone would ever like to chat with me about what might be useful for daily readings, devotional passages, or something in more detail please let me know. Even very well-known passages can be brought to life anew, or given new meaning, but a little bit of extra reading.
I will never be a Shakespeare expert, I well know, and I will only ever have a partial and incomplete understanding of the Bible. But I thank God that throughout life we can learn and reflect on ancient verses as they interact with our experiences, feelings, wisdom and humility. Thanks be to God too for writers, theologians, teachers and authors who deepen our faith by illuminating God’s word just a little more for us all.
Rev. Paul Tabraham
Excerpt taken from Emmanuel Magazine February 2025. The magazine, published ten times annually, features articles contributed or authored by our members. It includes a delightful blend of testimonials, devotions, book reviews, prayers, jokes, upcoming events, and more. Grab your copy of the latest magazine at the church foyer. If you prefer to receive a copy by mail or email, feel free to reach out to us.