Loins

Don't ask me how the library atheist (one of them, at least) also got to be the unofficial Bible specialist. It's a loong story you probably don't want to hear, involving years of Sunday School and somthing about a TULIP. But, the upside is, I'm rarely stumped as to the location of Isaiah, or which of the gospels was written with a Jewish audience in mind; I can even answer some of the more puzzling ones, like the prophet who had children eaten by bears. In extremity, or when a question treads the sticky path of doctrine, I know how to gently recommend talking to a pastor. So, I don't really like bible questions personally, but as an exercise in reference I think I do OK.

Enter today's phone patron:
"I want to know about the loins of the mind. Its in 1 Peter Chapter 1, Verse 13. I want to know what they mean by the loins of the mind."

As an aside, being a grown woman, with a certain amount of water under the bridge if ya know what I mean, I know a bit about "loins" too. That doesn't nescessarily make me more comfortable with talking about them to older, very proper, bible study ladies.

"OK, I'll check the Nelson's Study Bible on that and see if they explain the phrase a little"...hold music while I scramble for the Nelson's..."Ma'am, it says that when they were going on a trip, or trying to get their work done, people in biblical times would tie up their robes around their waists to get them out of the way, and that we should, in the same way, eliminate distractions from our mind while focusing on the Kingdom of Heaven" (this is an approximation of the Nelson's--I don't have it in front of me.)
"But what does tying up your robe have to do with your loins, and what does it mean "loins of your mind"?"

As an aside, being a grown woman, with a certain amount of water under the bridge if ya know what I mean, there have been times when I've met people who I've thought had "minds in their loins, but that isn't what she's talking about and isn't nescessarily something I'd mention to older, very proper, bible study ladies.

"Well, that's what this book says, let me get another commentary and see if it explains better." OMG OMG this could get bad "Ma'am, the MacArthur Study bible says that people in biblical times would tie up their robes to keep them out of the way and that this metaphorically represents [thinking: please don't be one of the bible people who's freaked out by the word metaphorically...] us removing obstacles in our path with the Lord." (again, a paraphrase)
"Oh, OK, Yeah, metaphorically, yeah, I was thinking about it while I was holding and I guess that makes sense in a way..."

Whew! That's the thing with bible questions. Sometimes they go badly; sometimes they go well; sometimes a bit of both. But it's always a dance along the wire of trying not to offend anyone while talking about a subject where it's easy to cause offense.

Especially when you're trying not to giggle every time someone says loins.