Shipwrecked
To those with eyes for the storm clouds:
(Part 2 of “Gees Pastor’s Wife”)
Honestly the crux is this: do we read the Bible as a rulebook to
which we consider our understanding of what we read absolute Truth? After all, the Holy Spirit teaches and
guides us so He is deciphering the words on the page to my mind, right? Don’t get me wrong. I do believe the Holy Spirit teaches
and guides us. I would just like
to point to the wrinkle that is created when both me and “the other guy” are
both hearing different things from the same Holy Spirit. Someone is WRONG Col. Sanders! And it’s not the Holy Spirit. Why did the ancient Jews learn
scripture’s meaning by arguing it in Haverums? It’s almost like no one had the ultimate understanding of
Truth all by themselves. I wonder
if through community and conglomerate considering we will come upon a more vast
understanding of Truth. All the
while we, ourselves, understand that we are ALL wrong about some things and hopefully
right about others.
I facilitate groups of art doers (the term
“artist” is sometimes connotative of something intimidating or pretentious for
some reason). I am an art doer
that is lacking in formal training like many others. I fake it a lot.
I will ask people sometimes to create an “impression” of a photo or a concept. This has some to do with the lack of
skill most of us have to create a “likeness”. Besides the real thing already exists. A likeness will never be as multifaceted
as the real thing. Somehow
symbolizing the actual with other, easier to draw objects, brings a personal
take on the actual. It is this
kind of creativity that, I believe, brings glory to The Creator. We are acknowledging the imperfect,
finite aspects of our understanding coming from a finite frame of
reference. However, these impressions
become beautiful when put together. Since each impression varies in contrast to
the next, they all hail a different aspect of beauty to the original object or
concept. Say we are trying to
represent a sunset we could not possibly capture on canvas. The original sunset remains great,
mysterious and multi faceted in a way we could never completely capture. However, maybe one person paints two
hands intertwined as he was moved by the sunset for a personal feeling of not
being alone. Maybe another paints
an eyeball reflecting some of the colors in the sunset from personal
inspiration and another an unopened package at the mystery the sunset
evokes. Who is wrong (Col.
Sanders)?
No one. Everyone.
These are all just interpretations …parts of
a whole.
Maybe this is GOOD news for a person
shipwrecked from his “jot and tiddle” faith: all we can ever hope to glean from The Holy Word of God is a
version of it…an interpretation.
Maybe it was designed this way.
The cold water in the face is that this inability
to grasp the complete and absolute version of these absolute truths makes it imperative
to consider interpretations that differ from our own…. but lets save that
expository for another time. J
If you can’t tell, I am one who has been “shipwrecked”
in her faith in the Bible. It just
a handful of years ago. I guess I
have always understood the interpretation factor, as I have always known that I
did not have all the answers, nor did any other person. I did know the Bible was not a rulebook
but a “plum line”. I guess I was
so pacified by my own “what the Bible is saying to ME, personally” that I never
realized that I have a responsibility:
This is to consider other,
very different, interpretations worthy of my own adopting and not just being “ok
for someone else”. I was left in a
place of deep sadness and many tears.
Many of these new ideas about passages I had thought I understood came
from people who read a lot more than me.
They had learned about the idioms and the social context the words were
first written from. I began to
learn how different my perception is based on my culture and time. Some of these passages include ideas
about hell, homosexuality, what happens at “the end”…stuff like that. Most of what I began to consider was
really good news. Most of it made
more sence. However, the fact that
I couldn’t possibly get all of this from reading the Bible without seeking
other historical sources was extremely discouraging to be honest. I always believed the Bible was enough
in conjunction with the Holy Spirit.
I had believed it was kinda blasphemous to say that it isn’t enough. After I saw, I wondered what else I was
missing and what 10 resources to read to find out what the heck the Bible was
trying to say. This is at the hull
of my personal shipwreck. Others
have other reasons that have caused the same ripple effect: being go sure and comforted by my small
understanding of the written Word to a place of almost stupid looking
uncomfortable “I don’t knows “ in its place. Honestly, I have gone from being a bible study leader who
would rather create her own study questions in the name of authenticity to
someone who just shrugs her shoulders a lot.
Not pretty.
Seems like a fools trade: security for
insecurity, safety and comfort for the unknown. But how else will I ever get closer to knowing who He really
is unless I trade? Am I more
passionate about what I have learned about God or finding out a little of whom
he really is.
Honestly, I’m still a mess. But here’s some good news: We step into a more profound humility
when ALL we know for sure is Jesus and him crucified for us. We step into the passion for the
mysteries of God when we consider deeper understanding about our expression of
this simple truth. It is through
this humility that we have greater tolerance of other’s expressions as we
Listen first, dialogue second.
We have greater compassion as we encourage
other Christians through their shipwreck.
The greatest news of all to me is that the
Jesus that I have spent time worshipping, loving and communing with is STILL
THE SAME GUY!! ALLELUJAH!
If you can identify with any part of this narrative
wreckage of your faith in the Bible, I hope you will be as sweetly encouraged
as I was by something my Jesus lovin’ beer lovin’ rad little bearded hipster
pastor friend told me:
“. …This (the Bible) is a love letter. You may not always understand but it
was written to you. So you
read it and keep ON reading it because the person who wrote it, wrote it to you
and He loves you.” -Tripp Fuller
