Image via WikipediaReading a couple of emails from friends the last few days has set me to wondering - do I take God for granted?
My personal question is prompted by the messages I've received regarding someone's attempt to endorse the validity of Holy Scripture, to once more - PROVE - that the Holy Bible is accurate in its stories of God's wonder and power. I read the messages with some interest but mostly I read them out of respect for the sender's sincerity in sharing the words with me. The messages prove nothing to me - they're just stories that someone has made up OR proven, OR tested that makes them "right" in some way in their own personal beliefs about "the" Word.
So, do I take God for granted? Or maybe it's the word faith that I should insert in my question rather than the word God - do I take my faith for granted? Perhaps I do in that I find it unimaginable that anyone could prove to me that there is a God or is NOT a God. I BELIEVE in GOD - there's no changing my mind. Without literally accepting the Bible's creation stories, I wholly believe in God's existence and creation. I wholly believe in God's power to move in my life, to draw me to the wisdom portrayed in Jesus' life and teachings - again, not necessarily believing that every word I read in Holy Scripture was transcribed by a heavenly stenographer from God's lips into the quills of human scribes. I love the story of Noah, yet I don't have to believe that Noah built the ark and left all mankind behind to die; yet, I understand a message to me about the importance of exclusive worship, honor and dedication to my Creator.
I can believe in the story of Jesus' Mother, of his Divine Birth, of the hardness of the circumstances of his birth without believing that there was a little drummer boy present - I know, I know, the drummer boy is not in Holy Scripture. But the details of three (not 4, not 2 but three) wise men, shepherds, angels - I don't need to know the details - in the Bible's written word - they are lovely, they speak to me of the preciousness of the gift of my Savior. It matters not to me that the story is told again and again in different versions, in different languages, in different understandings. The literalness is not a cause for me to prove someone else wrong if they choose to believe the exact words and argue with me that I'm wrong in NOT believing the exact words.
Taking for granted my faith in God is to say that when I pray (and when I don't) I believe God is always there, always ready, always loving, always coaxing me towards his love, resurrection, redemption; always giving me opportunities, encouragement and discouragement in the daily decisons I'm drawn to make.
So perhaps my question could be restated another way...........my faith is something I take for granted, in that I believe there is a Creator, a Receiver, a Giver, a Lover to whom I owe my existence, to whom I choose to worship and to whom I dedicate myself to a living relationship of honor, worship, praise and prayer.
And you? Do you need to believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant text from God? Do you need to believe that another's faith is weak if they do not believe in that inerrancy? Well, in the same way I read the emails of inerrancy or proof out of respect for my friends, I appreciate your reading this post today out of respect for my beliefs and writings. Thank you and may the God that we both share in our lives bless you, keep you, and continue to be there for you for all eternity!
In our Scripture Group we are following quite a stretching study of Mark - we read it culturally, theologically and socio-politically. A friend said she quite liked it when she just read it and took it as it was.
ReplyDeleteBut that's the beauty of scripture and faith - that they are living words and works. They will mean different things to different people and to the same people at different times. I know when I first started studying scripture I was a nightmare with the enthusiam of trying to tell others what it 'really meant'. That is a personal thing and not something we can judge others on. We can share what we feel and believe and it is the sharing that helps all of us to grow, blessings
I think the belief is key, and if the reality of God's consuming greatness and Jesus's gift of salvation to those who broke away from perfect harmony sticks to the soul and changes our view of the world, then why quibble? The rest is sorted out by the spirit, and it is more about how much we depend on that infusion which we don't have the capacity to understand than it is about us being able to define a creativity that is beyond definition. The day I create a box that contains God, that is the day I lose sight of him completely.
ReplyDeleteDear Word - "the beauty of scripture and faith - that they are living words and works. They will mean different things to different people and to the same people at different times." I so agree with your words. I think we humans fall short when we do not grant others that beauty of interpretation or just plain old patience in accepting another's view! Thank you for reading and commenting.
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Dear Phoenix-K - I so agree with your thoughts and your further elaboration of what I've tried to say this a.m. The spirit and the sorting???.....what a job that must be - only for a divine creature would it ever be possible!!! God does grow larger for me the longer I trust and believe.
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My brain is a.bit muddled this evening, however, to answer your question, uh, No, you don't take God nor your faith for granted. And I hope, neither do I. God growing larger is so much more .... xoxox
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