Reflections
Thoughts about living a more beautiful story.
The problem of Biblical assumptions
For most of my life I was taught and taught others this basic assumption: “The Bible was given by God to humans, who wrote it down, and now we have God’s clear teaching about everything we need to know.” Flowing naturally from that assumption are a couple others, such as “The Bible is completely accurate in everything written in it because the author was God, and God does not change or lie.” Also, “Although it was written by about 40 different authors over a span of thousands of years, it is perfect, because God is perfect.”
For many Christians, these assumptions about the Bible provide a meaningful framework for their lives, and a sense of being in a right relationship with the Creator.
But…
…for many people, these assumptions only work for so long before they notice problems.
The only thing that counts
It is oh so easy to get stuck studying the words written 2000 years ago and turning them into laws to govern our behavior and religious practice.
It is oh so easy to get distracted by definitions of theological words found in the ancient writings.
It is oh so easy to make correct doctrinal beliefs the highest priority.
It is oh so easy to create to-do and don’t-do lists based on the ancient writings.
It is oh so easy to focus on creating and maintaining religious structures and systems, at great financial cost and human energy cost.
It is oh so easy to police the beliefs and behavior of those within and without the community of Jesus-followers.
But what did Paul say again?
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
A more beautiful approach
I will take the Bible for what it is
The writings of men from ancient times
Inspired by God, yes
But written in the language of their times and cultures
Trying to make sense of the Divine within their human limitations….
What gives you the right?
I occasionally get asked, “If you don’t believe all of the Bible is literally true, what gives you the right to choose which parts are and which parts aren’t?”
One of my first responses is usually to say, “Well, I’ve actually never met anyone who actually lives according to all of the ideas in the Bible or New Testament.” If they want to know more, I do a quick summary of how the Christian church in the USA has handled two historical issues, and one current one.
But could it be wrong?
Could the Bible be wrong? It's a foundation-shaking question for those who are Jews or Christians. It is so problematic that most Christians I know will not even consider any answer besides a certain, loud "NO!" To many the answer must be "NO" because the Bible is God's Word, and God cannot lie, so there cannot be any lies, contradictions, or inconsistencies in it's compilation of 66 pieces of literature. The Bible is without error in everything it touches, and so it absolutely cannot be wrong about anything.
My story of following Jesus toward a more beautiful story since the 1980s, with evolving and expanding views of the love of God in and out of pastoral ministry.
Want to jumpstart your own journey? These books, podcasts, and individuals have guided me toward a more beautiful story and could help you too.