The Bible

On my way home from the Titusville, PA College Fair last night I started thinking about the Bible and the way that we use it. There is something about long drives at night through middle of nowhere towns that get the mind going. Sitting on the john for long periods has the same psychological effect.

Regarding the Bible, I don't think I will be able to put in words what I was thinking exactly but it goes something like this...I think we grossly mis-use the Bible far more than we use it correctly. It came to me during this drive that we spend too much time debating and arguing over trivial issues that don't have anything to do with the validity and power of the Word. Debates concerning a literal 7-day creation along with debates on the truth behind Noah's story all become irrelevant when you begin to look at these stories as purposefull in explaining the story of our humanity and God's role in saving it. I don't know if Noah's story is 100% true or if it is a replica of the story of Gilgamesh. The point is, we need to stop looking at these stories with a scientific eye and with more of a poetic one.

This brings me to my next point, that we fragment and break down the Word for our own benefit, creating verses to memorize. This is a serious mis-use. This allows for the Word to be taken out of context and to be used for wrong more often than good. Additionally, it removes the element of experiencing the Word and supplants it with an emphasis on ones mental capacities. I believe we need to use the Word to show us how to live, not as a rulebook or cookbook, but as a history lesson for who we are as humans. This view allows us to better our discernment and judgement in how we live and keeps us from being boxed in to false ideologies. Additionally, looking at it this way keeps one from throwing around verses to people who have no clue what they mean. I believe that people relate to people/cirucumstances and not obscure/foreign text.

Lastly, I have yet to figure out why there is so much hatred out there for the Jews. Mel Gibson, a devout Catholic and director of The Passion of The Christ went on an anti-semetic rant a few months back. I can understand (although I of course do not condone) why other faiths have such a hatred, yet it baffles me that Christians can share in this evil. Once again, we are bound by our humanity. Derek Webb's song wedding dress illustrates this point when he says so could you love this bastard child though i don’t trust you to provide with one hand in a pot of gold and with the other in your side. We share guilt in Christs sacrifice as much as we share joy in His return. I understand that the Jewish religion does not acknowledge Christ, but that does not give us the right to hate. We need to keep in mind that although they do not acknowledge Christ, the Jewish religion is our theological lineage.