24 January 2006

Again from "Opening the Bible" by Thomas Merton.

The Bible is without question one of the most unsatisfying books ever written - at least until the reader has come to terms with it in a very special way. But it is a difficult book to come to terms with... We approach the Bible cautiously, taking into account the claims that are made for it by others. And the claims cannot be ignored. But they are the claims of others, who tell us what we ourselves need before we have a chance to determine our own needs and formulate our own questions. And they tell us what the Bible demands of us before the Bible itself has a chance to make known its own claims.

There are so many layers of expectations and interpretations laid on any of the texts we would read in the Bible that too often it may be quite difficult to hear how the word is addressing us. This does not mean that there should not be good biblical scholarship used to help us read the text. Rather we need to be watchful of the "claims" that are put on the texts. Those claims can leave people imprisoned and lifeless. Those claims can lock people into the despair of their brokenness rather than lift them into the gracious domain of our God. The grace of God is not always what people want to hear. Many times, we want to hear of the God we know and mold and hold and are able to control. But with that need of ours, we are bound to read the Bible and come away not hearing its word or wanting to hear of its alternative life that is not the life we have been living. The Bible bring questions into our lives. That, is hard to handle if we are people looking for answers...any answers...but answers. It is no wonder God comes in that still small voice...a voice that cannot be heard when the world and its many voices are trying to direct what the word of God is to be. The still small voice - usually will knock us off our feet. Just like Saul on the way to Damascus.

Connection: When you have been told what the word must be, listen again. Do not be held hostage by the claims put on the word of God. Rather be inspired by the word that tickles us and sometimes shock us with its unbounded love and grace.

When the wind blows, O God, let that wind be the Spirit of life that takes hold of us and begins to create something new right in the middle of the ways we think the world should be going. In that wind, you have brought to so many people new life and wisdom and encouragement and hope. Let that wind bring such gifts to us now. Amen.