So, again I have not been particularly controversial this
Sunday… I mean, who’s gonna object to the 23rd Psalm?
The Lord isn't my Shepherd!!
I don’t like Green Pastures and Still Waters!! I hate being anointed with oil!!
So, not courting
controversy, I've only got on question to be answered:
You said that we should re-interpret the 23rd
Psalm every time we read it… is that true for everything in the Bible? Shouldn't we just figure out what some things
mean and stick to it?
Fair question. Some
look at the Unite Church of Canada and think that because we are often
re-interpreting Scripture, we don’t believe in the Bible. That we just keep changing what we believe to
fit what we want…. So, in essence, we don’t really believe in anything, because
we keep changing what stuff means.
But for me… I talk to my parents differently now that I’m an
adult and I talk to my children differently, too. When I told my children to be careful in
Grade 1, I wanted them to look both ways when the crossed the street and not
eat somebody else’s lunch. Now, when I
say be careful, I want them to be sure of the people with whom they are in
relationship; I want them to look carefully for a good mortgage broker and have
a house inspection before they buy.
Things I never really imagined when they were children. I want my diabetic son to eat well and be
sure to stay on top of his blood sugars; not forget his insulin… things that we
knew nothing about when he was a young boy.
When I tell my wife I want to be left alone, it means one thing when the
Blue Jays have lost a game and something else when I've received bad news from
a friend… with the Jays, I do want to be left alone; with my friend I want my
wife to comfort me (dinner would be nice, too…)
The things that we say to each other in relationships change
all the time… the context changes; the
other person grows up; I grow up or see things through a new lens. When
my mother had her aneurysm many years ago “Yeah, though I walk through
the valley of death…” had a different resonance than it did today… it had a different
sound and feeling last week before the bombs went off in Boston… with each
experience, I change and the meaning of the words changes for me… the
importance does, too. When I was young,
I loved the Bible stories that demanded justice!! As I age, I want to hear stories about mercy.
I believe that the Bible chronicles the struggles and
celebrations of communities and individuals living in intentional relationship
with God… but I also believe that the Bible is meant to inspire those struggles,
celebrations and conversations to continue in 2013. Even though Jesus and his friends knew
nothing about Global Warming or Halidon Collider, there is still great wisdom
in the Bible that helps me as I come to an awareness of the potential for both;
promises that bring calm to my worry and light to my darkness. I believe that the Bible inspires a dynamic
relationship with God- dynamic because the world is always changing, I am
always changing and (although it doesn't make for much of a hymn) God is always
changing, too.
I hope that makes sense…
Next week, I’ll strive for some controversy.
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