Today's question is this: Borg concludes with three metaphors for seeing the bible (Finger Pointing the Moon, Lens, Sacrament). What metaphor would you use to describe the Bible? Complete the sentence: To me, the Bible is like...
To me, reading the Bible is like taking the red pill in "The Matrix". Now, if you haven't seen this movie, stick with me...and if you have, hear me out - the metaphor works, I promise.
In the movie "The Matrix", taking the red pill frees a person from the Matrix, a computer-generated world within which people, unknowingly, live their entire lives. If you take a red pill, you'll be awakened from the Matrix to the truth of reality. If you take the blue pill, you'll still be connected to the Matrix and remain blissfully ignorant in the midst of the grand illusion.
Reading the Bible, for me, is like taking the red pill: it enables us to see the world form God's point of view -- from the viewpoint of God's greater justice and mercy. We get to see the world from Jesus' point of view -- from the viewpoint of one who insisted upon loving our neighbors and our enemies. Most importantly, instead of seeing the world from the viewpoint of consumerism, which has become the overriding qualifier of what it means to be American in 21st century life, we see the world from the viewpoint of God's preferential love for the poor. If God cares for the poor, then we, as lovers of God, must figure out how we will care for the poor of the world. When we figure out that this is one of the biggest responsibilities of the faithful, the whole world changes.
So, which pill will you be swallowing?
Showing posts with label Chapter 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chapter 2. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
With a Capital "W"
Today's question is: What does it mean for you to call the Bible “the Word of God?” What doesn’t it mean for you?
Flipping through an art history book long ago, I came across a painting of Saint so-and-so writing the Bible. In this depiction, an ethereal hand reaches down out of the heavens. It grasps the saint's hand and the quill pen therein. The painting was commissioned as a teaching tool - to let the common folk know that this book contained The Word of God as written by God himself.
This is not what I think of when I think of the Bible being The Word of God with a capital "W".
When I think of the Bible being the Word of God, I think of the millions of faithful people who, for millenia, have looked to the words of the Bible to reveal something about the "character and will of God" as Marcus Borg puts it. In those stories, letters and poems, there are profound glimpses of who God is, how God works, what we can expect from God, and what God expects of us.
Flipping through an art history book long ago, I came across a painting of Saint so-and-so writing the Bible. In this depiction, an ethereal hand reaches down out of the heavens. It grasps the saint's hand and the quill pen therein. The painting was commissioned as a teaching tool - to let the common folk know that this book contained The Word of God as written by God himself.
This is not what I think of when I think of the Bible being The Word of God with a capital "W".
When I think of the Bible being the Word of God, I think of the millions of faithful people who, for millenia, have looked to the words of the Bible to reveal something about the "character and will of God" as Marcus Borg puts it. In those stories, letters and poems, there are profound glimpses of who God is, how God works, what we can expect from God, and what God expects of us.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sacred Contextual Texts
Today's question is: Does scripture ever function as a sacrament in your life? What helps you listen for the Spirit of God speaking through the words of the biblical text?
Have you ever been driving along, listening to the radio and, all of a sudden, the perfect song comes on? The song seems to fit the exact moment of life you are living in, as if some divine intervention was at work when the DJ picked the next tune. It's like those words were written just for you. When that happens with scripture, that's when the text becomes sacramental for me.
In order to listen for the Spirit of God speaking through the words of the biblical text, I have to start new every time. I have to stop thinking that I know what this particular passage is about, forget that I've read it before, and start over. I have to have an open mind and open heart. But, I also have to bring my life to the text and be willing to let the text speak to me and my situation in life. In other words, I have to provide my own context in which to hear the text. Again, when I do that, there is a sense that the text really is speaking to me.
Have you ever been driving along, listening to the radio and, all of a sudden, the perfect song comes on? The song seems to fit the exact moment of life you are living in, as if some divine intervention was at work when the DJ picked the next tune. It's like those words were written just for you. When that happens with scripture, that's when the text becomes sacramental for me.
In order to listen for the Spirit of God speaking through the words of the biblical text, I have to start new every time. I have to stop thinking that I know what this particular passage is about, forget that I've read it before, and start over. I have to have an open mind and open heart. But, I also have to bring my life to the text and be willing to let the text speak to me and my situation in life. In other words, I have to provide my own context in which to hear the text. Again, when I do that, there is a sense that the text really is speaking to me.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Holy in the Everyday
Today's question is: Where do you experience the presence of God in your life? Are there sacred spaces, objects, rituals, relationships, activities that are ‘mediators of the sacred’ - vehicles by which God becomes present to you?
What is sacred to me? Since writing is one of those sacred activities, I thought I would offer this poem about what is sacred to me....
Birthing, breathing, creating. Cooking, conversing,
love-making. Soul-tending, gardening,
greeting the day.
Smiling,
engaging,
embracing. Justice-making.
God-bearing.
Believing.
What is sacred to me? Since writing is one of those sacred activities, I thought I would offer this poem about what is sacred to me....
Birthing, breathing, creating. Cooking, conversing,
love-making. Soul-tending, gardening,
greeting the day.
Smiling,
engaging,
embracing. Justice-making.
God-bearing.
Believing.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
What's Holy?
Today's question is: What does it mean for you to call the Bible “holy?”
Just about every Bible I've ever seen has the word "Holy" inserted in front of the word Bible on the front cover. Is it holy because God made it so? Because it says so on the cover? Or is the Bible holy because we make it holy?
I opt for #3.
Take anything that is considered holy - it is only considered so because we make it so. When we pour out the waters of baptism (which is just tap water by the way) we ask God to bless the water and to help us receive God's inward and invisible grace through this outward and visible sign.
It's the same with scripture. When we come to the text, we should be asking the Spirit to move through us and for God to open us the Word for us. When we experience God's grace in the text, I think that's the moment when it becomes holy.
Just about every Bible I've ever seen has the word "Holy" inserted in front of the word Bible on the front cover. Is it holy because God made it so? Because it says so on the cover? Or is the Bible holy because we make it holy?
I opt for #3.
Take anything that is considered holy - it is only considered so because we make it so. When we pour out the waters of baptism (which is just tap water by the way) we ask God to bless the water and to help us receive God's inward and invisible grace through this outward and visible sign.
It's the same with scripture. When we come to the text, we should be asking the Spirit to move through us and for God to open us the Word for us. When we experience God's grace in the text, I think that's the moment when it becomes holy.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Something Sacred
Today's question is: Does the process of how the Bible was developed and the history of how it became viewed as authoritative by the church affect your views on the sacred status of scripture?
The short answer to this question is: nope, not at all.
The long answer is this: half the battle is accepting the fact that the Bible did not drop from the sky one day, whole, intact and perfect. Once we understand how the canonization process worked, we've taken a big step. But, there's still another hurdle. The canonization was a messy, imperfect process. It's hard to be at peace with that.
As one of my Seminary professors often said about scripture, "We are passive recipients of someone else's choices." I try to keep that very ambiguous fact in balance with the fact that this book has been trusted for millennia. When tragedies occur, when we are at a loss to explain what happens in life, when people have been at a loss for words, time and again, people have gone to the Bible to find words of comfort, assurance and insight.
What's important when reading scripture is that we remain open to the movement of the Spirit. We must ask how God is still speaking to us today in the text. Does God have a Word for us today? That's the question that transforms just another book into something sacred.
The short answer to this question is: nope, not at all.
The long answer is this: half the battle is accepting the fact that the Bible did not drop from the sky one day, whole, intact and perfect. Once we understand how the canonization process worked, we've taken a big step. But, there's still another hurdle. The canonization was a messy, imperfect process. It's hard to be at peace with that.
As one of my Seminary professors often said about scripture, "We are passive recipients of someone else's choices." I try to keep that very ambiguous fact in balance with the fact that this book has been trusted for millennia. When tragedies occur, when we are at a loss to explain what happens in life, when people have been at a loss for words, time and again, people have gone to the Bible to find words of comfort, assurance and insight.
What's important when reading scripture is that we remain open to the movement of the Spirit. We must ask how God is still speaking to us today in the text. Does God have a Word for us today? That's the question that transforms just another book into something sacred.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Response to? Inspired by? Both?
Today's question is: How does Borg’s description of the bible as “a human response to God” fit your own understanding of the relationship between God and the Bible?
Borg takes the approach that the Bible is purely a human product. If the Bible is a human product, it makes the difficult sections easier to stomach. If we find out the historical context of the text, it may unlock some of the mystery as to why someone would attribute certain things to God.
But, I must admit that I don't entirely agree with Borg's assertion that the Bible is purely a human product. I understand his point. If we think that some of the Bible is inspired and some is not, then we're stuck in a vast gray area of wondering what is and what is not inspired.
I'm ok with that gray area. I am ok wit the ambiguity of some of the Bible being human response to God and some of it being inspired. As a writer and preacher, I have certainly experienced this phenomenon. I have preached sermons that were clearly the work of the Holy Spirit, when it felt as if the words were not mine, but truly God's. I have also phoned it in. I would assume the same is true for the texts we deem sacred.
Borg takes the approach that the Bible is purely a human product. If the Bible is a human product, it makes the difficult sections easier to stomach. If we find out the historical context of the text, it may unlock some of the mystery as to why someone would attribute certain things to God.
But, I must admit that I don't entirely agree with Borg's assertion that the Bible is purely a human product. I understand his point. If we think that some of the Bible is inspired and some is not, then we're stuck in a vast gray area of wondering what is and what is not inspired.
I'm ok with that gray area. I am ok wit the ambiguity of some of the Bible being human response to God and some of it being inspired. As a writer and preacher, I have certainly experienced this phenomenon. I have preached sermons that were clearly the work of the Holy Spirit, when it felt as if the words were not mine, but truly God's. I have also phoned it in. I would assume the same is true for the texts we deem sacred.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Beloved texts
Today's question is: Are there particular passages of scripture that you cherish? If so, what makes them significant for you?
If have several passages that I cherish. Ruth's promise to Naomi, "Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God," was the passage David and I chose to have read at our wedding. That makes it foundational in my life.
There's also Jesus promise in Matthew which read, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I shall give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light, " is also key. I had to memorize it for a worship service I was doing. So, I had it there, rummaging around in my brain. The first time I ever felt really burnt out, I remembered it. It became life savingly true for me.
Then, there's the section of Paul's' letter to the Romans wherein he states, "For I am convinced that neither death, not lie, nor angels, not rulers, not things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." That passage made me trust in God at a time in my life that was characterized by overwhelming fear.
I could go on and on. I am discovering new things every day!
If have several passages that I cherish. Ruth's promise to Naomi, "Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God," was the passage David and I chose to have read at our wedding. That makes it foundational in my life.
There's also Jesus promise in Matthew which read, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I shall give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light, " is also key. I had to memorize it for a worship service I was doing. So, I had it there, rummaging around in my brain. The first time I ever felt really burnt out, I remembered it. It became life savingly true for me.
Then, there's the section of Paul's' letter to the Romans wherein he states, "For I am convinced that neither death, not lie, nor angels, not rulers, not things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." That passage made me trust in God at a time in my life that was characterized by overwhelming fear.
I could go on and on. I am discovering new things every day!
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