Reflections
Thoughts about living a more beautiful story.
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.
What makes the gospel offensive?
It seems what is most important in the work of God is not keeping certain classes of people out, but making sure those who have been excluded hear the Good News that they can come right in. For Philip, and for Luke, even though there was written proof that God had excluded certain people before, things were changing.
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.
I am left handed
What if I grew up going to church every week, and found a few obscure passages in which the Biblical authors called left-handedness an abomination? What if I discovered that the Apostle Paul, a brilliant legal and theological mind, occasionally slipped a condemnation of left-handedness into his writings? What if I heard sermons denouncing left-handedness as sin?
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.