Mythologizing the Bible

A Humanistic look at religious texts

Mythologizing the Bible (MTB) explores the Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.” Each week, we dive into three Bible readings, analyzing these ancient texts to uncover any helpful lessons that don't require belief in the supernatural. Whether you identify as a Christian, a non-believer, or somewhere in between, MTB offers fresh insights and new ways of thinking about stories you may already know well. www.thecodaproject.com

  1. 5d ago

    The Resilience Myth

    Resilience helps us recover from adversity. But when broken systems depend on our endless endurance, maybe it's the system, not the person, that needs fixing. We’re constantly being told to become more resilient. Burned out at work? Build resilience. Struggling financially? Become more adaptable. Your community gets hammered by another crisis? Look how resilient everyone is! And resilience really is valuable. We need the ability to recover from grief, failure, uncertainty, and all the adversity that life inevitably throws our way. But somewhere along the line, we turned a healthy capacity to recover into an expectation that people should simply keep absorbing damage. Let’s call this the Resilience Myth: when systemic failures get redefined as personal deficiencies, and instead of fixing the conditions that are hurting people, we teach people how to endure them more efficiently. Sometimes resilience really does mean bouncing back. But sometimes it means refusing to keep bouncing off the same damn wall. How do we know the difference? And what would happen if we stopped trying to make people unbreakable and started building systems that didn’t keep breaking them in the first place? So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts! CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to CODA Project at www.thecodaproject.com/subscribe

  2. 6d ago

    The Myth of Standing Alone

    Resilience isn’t about handling everything alone. It grows through strong foundations, flexible thinking, and relationships we can depend on. Have you ever noticed how often we confuse resilience with toughness? We admire the person who handles everything alone, never asks for help, and somehow keeps going no matter how hard life gets. But what if that isn’t resilience at all? What if our ability to recover depends less on becoming unbreakable and more on building strong foundations, learning when to bend, and creating relationships sturdy enough to hold us when our own strength isn’t enough? As we reflect on the readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, we’ll explore how genuine resilience grows from dependable foundations, intellectual flexibility, and the human solidarity that allows us to support one another through adversity. In this episode, we’re asking a challenging question: What exactly is resilience and is it something we can build? Together we’ll discover why resilience doesn’t mean having all the answers, why needing other people isn’t a failure of independence, and why the strongest communities aren’t filled with people who never need help, but with people willing to both give and receive it. And before we’re finished, I’ll leave you with one simple question that may challenge the way you think about strength itself. CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to CODA Project at www.thecodaproject.com/subscribe

  3. Aug 19 ·  Bonus

    The Stewardship of Attention

    Your attention is your most valuable asset. Discover why mindfulness is the radical practice of choosing what truly deserves your focus. Every generation has to decide what deserves its attention. Today, that choice is becoming increasingly difficult because our attention has become one of the world’s most valuable commodities. In this episode, we’re exploring why mindfulness isn’t just about reducing stress or finding inner peace, it’s about reclaiming ownership of your own mind. We’ll look at how the modern attention economy shapes what we think, what we value, and even who we become, and why protecting your attention may be one of the most important acts of personal and civic responsibility in this digital age. French philosopher Simone Weil said that, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” That’s a beautiful thought, but it also raises an uncomfortable question. If attention really is one of the greatest gifts we can give another human being, why do we spend so much of our attention on notifications, endless scrolling, algorithmically curated outrage, and companies whose business model depends on keeping us distracted? Somewhere along the way, our attention stopped being something we intentionally offered and became something that was quietly harvested. Maybe that’s because we’ve been thinking about mindfulness all wrong. We’ve turned it into breathing exercises, meditation apps, and a way to relax after another stressful day. But what if mindfulness is something far more radical? What if it’s the daily practice of deciding who and what deserves the focus of your thoughts? And what if that simple decision ultimately shapes the kind of person—and the kind of society—we become? So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts! CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to CODA Project at www.thecodaproject.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 14

    The Discipline of Paying Attention

    Mindfulness isn’t escaping reality, it’s noticing what matters. Attention, humility, and presence can transform the way you live! Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to truly pay attention? We live in a world that constantly competes for our focus, rewarding quick reactions, instant opinions, and endless distractions. We often think of mindfulness as a way to relax or reduce stress, but what if it’s something much more demanding? What if mindfulness is the discipline of noticing what we’ve stopped seeing: our own blind spots, the quiet injustices around us, and the humanity of people we’ve filtered out through habit, ideology, or just indifference? I’m Brandon Jubar and this is Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.” As we reflect on the readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we’ll explore how genuine mindfulness grows by paying attention to what truly matters: practicing justice, cultivating humility, and becoming fully present to the people right in front of us. In this episode, we’re asking a deceptively simple question: What does it really mean to be mindful? Together, we’ll discover why mindfulness is far more than inner peace, why humility begins with recognizing our own limitations, and why the greatest act of generosity may simply be giving another human being our complete attention. And before we’re finished, I’ll leave you with one question that may change the way you notice the world—and the people in it. CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to CODA Project at www.thecodaproject.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 11

    The Quiet Voice Within

    Self-awareness begins in silence, grows through emotional honesty, and helps us face fear with clarity instead of panic. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to simply be alone with your own thoughts? The moment life grows quiet, many of us instinctively reach for our phones, turn on the television, or fill the silence with noise. But what if all that distraction is keeping us from hearing the one voice that matters most—our own? What if the greatest barrier to understanding ourselves isn’t a lack of information, but a lack of stillness? I’m Brandon Jubar and this is Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.” As we reflect on the readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we’ll explore how genuine self-awareness grows by quieting the world’s noise, honestly confronting our deepest emotions, and recognizing how fear shapes the choices we make. In this episode, we’re asking an uncomfortable question: What fear hides behind my strongest opinions? Together, we’ll discover why self-awareness begins in silence, why emotional honesty is a strength rather than a weakness, and why understanding our own fears may be the key to becoming more compassionate, resilient, and authentic! CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to CODA Project at www.thecodaproject.com/subscribe

  6. Jul 31

    The Freedom Nobody Can Sell You

    Freedom begins within. Discover why real independence isn’t about possessions or power, it’s about purpose, resilience, and generosity. Have you ever noticed how often we confuse freedom with comfort? We’re told that if we can buy what we want, say what we want, and live without interference, then we’ve achieved independence. But what if we’re still being quietly controlled… by advertising, social expectations, political tribes, or our own pursuit of status and security? What if real freedom has far less to do with what we possess and far more to do with who we’re becoming? I’m Brandon Jubar and this is Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.” As we reflect on the readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we’ll explore how genuine independence grows from intellectual freedom, deepens through inner resilience, and ultimately finds its purpose in serving the well-being of others. In this episode, we’re asking a challenging question: Are we living the life we’ve intentionally chosen or the one our culture quietly chose for us? Together we’ll discover why freedom begins by questioning what truly satisfies us, why hardship doesn’t have to define us, and why the highest expression of independence is found not in “standing apart from others”, but in freely choosing to strengthen the communities we share. And before we’re finished, I’ll leave you with one simple question that may change the way you think about freedom itself. CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to CODA Project at www.thecodaproject.com/subscribe

About

Mythologizing the Bible (MTB) explores the Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.” Each week, we dive into three Bible readings, analyzing these ancient texts to uncover any helpful lessons that don't require belief in the supernatural. Whether you identify as a Christian, a non-believer, or somewhere in between, MTB offers fresh insights and new ways of thinking about stories you may already know well. www.thecodaproject.com