It was the prophet Isaiah who was sawn in two, I heard my husband say. “Really?” I asked, ” where did you hear that?” “From Pastor Stanley’s* Bible Study last week,” he answered.

In the past, when I read the famous chapter of faith in the New Testament of my Bible, I would focus on those who escaped perils they faced. Like Joseph, Moses, Samson, yay! Then came some unnamed heroes who attained feats of triumph, “… who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword.” I liked this one: “Women received back their dead, raised to life again.” These are the success stories, full of the miraculous, albeit with some harsh episodes in between.

Then follows the abrupt shift: “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.” What does this mean? I would hurry through the ensuing verses. “… others were chained and put in prison…, they were sawn in two…” Oh Lord!

A melody came to me some years ago when I read verses from the book of Isaiah (ch. 40) in the Old Testament of my French Bible. I picked up my guitar and sang: “Levez vos yeux en haut, et voyez! Qui a créé ces choses…” (Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things.)

I will sing again.