Tuesday, 15 June, 2004

We continue with another section of Walter Wink’s “The Human Being.”



“Be careful how you describe the world,” said one physicist. “It is that way.” In our Heisenbergian universe, in which the objective world already includes the subject, we are already related to what is to be known. Thus it is impossible to say anything about nature that is not also a statement about oneself. This is because, like the atoms of which we are made, each person is coextensive with the universe. We are not like billiard balls bumping against one another isolated and hard-bounded entities.

Another writer takes a look at how we come to Scripture and interpret it. I find that it is quite similar to this note by Wink. When we read and interpret Scripture we are not doing it as though it is an isolated piece of reality that is objective...a piece that is set up just the way it is and that is it. Rather, in our mere reading of the text…no…even as we come to the reading of the text, we bring our own lives and that means we read and hear and interpret with a view of the story already in place. We cannot separate ourselves from the text in order to find out what the text means. We are knitted into the text in the simple action of entering into a relationship with it. Therefore, it may be helpful to have others in our lives who show us their way of seeing and interpreting so that we all may be able to see the fullness of a text that is not within our seeing. Maybe then, we will have a bit more respect for how bountiful the wealth of a biblical text can be…and how bountiful are the gifts of those around us.



Connection: In the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” we sing, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…” It would be good to talk to someone about what that “glory” is. We may find ourselves disagreeing…or being expanded…or even being confused.



Master of all that is, your swirling and creative power is able to lift us beyond our simple vision so that we can catch a glimpse of the vastness of your creativity. Encourage us to trust you as you pull us from what we want to see into that which is made new by your grace. Amen.