Last Sunday, April 26, after people visited the volunteer stations and enjoyed treats and fellowship, around 20 people gathered in Anderson Hall for a viewing of the movie 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture.
Before we watched the film, we talked about Biblical translations, specifically if we have ever thought about translation choices and how those choices might impact translation.
While snacking on popcorn, we viewed the film, and it was a powerful experience. The film tells the stories of several people of faith wrestling with the churches’ stances on homosexuality and the origin of that stance. The first time the word “homosexual” appeared in the Bible was 1946 with the RSV translation, and the film explored those people of faith researching the original documents from the conference that developed and approved the translation.
After the film, we spent time talking about it, the emotions it brought forth that resonated with us, and the people and moments in the film that stuck with us. People mentioned feeling strongly sympathetic for several people in the film who told their stories, and they admired the courage of the people who investigated this translation and told its story (and continue to do so today! Visit CanyonWalker Connections if you want to learn about one of the people of faith, Kathy Baldock, who researched the translation.). I heard someone say that the film affirmed a focus on people not groups, and another said that the Bible reminds us that we don’t know all of what God wants for us, and we agreed that the film ended with a sense of hope, humility, and reconciliation.
I am grateful to have watched and discussed the film with other people from our church. If you missed the viewing (and the popcorn!) and are interested in seeing the film, let your pastors or members of the RIC committee know (Anne Strootman, Jennifer Larson, Casey Wiedenman, Phil Coen-Pesch), and it is available to rent on Amazon Prime.
