ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 28, 2023
Have you ever tried to solve someone else’s problem? Often, we get it in our minds that if they’d just follow our clear instructions, life would be wonderful. How many of you with kids have found that approach to be nothing but a failure? In the Bible, we have the Ten Commandments alongside other lists of what might be viewed as rules or guidelines, but much of scripture is narrative. In fact, a number of those commandments are woven into a larger story, and the story gives the commandments context. A lot of people think a set of rules is all other folks need to live a good and holy life, but even within the religious context, rules are rarely absolutes when applied to daily life. It can be complicated, and there are often extenuating circumstances. “Thou shall not kill” is pretty clear, but you move a few chapters after such a clear declaration, and there are what appear to be exceptions to that rule. The Ten Commandments begin with the words, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” It goes on from there, but that opening declaration serves as the foundation for everything that follows. Thus, if you do not hold to the idea of there being one God who seeks to liberate people from slavery and calls those people to live together in community, then what follows are some interesting suggestions for life, but not necessarily more authoritative than anything else. Context, specifically understanding when and to whom a portion of scripture was originally written, is so enlightening. Suddenly those rules are put in the context of the daily lives of people centuries ago who were trying their best to figure out how to honor God with their choices, but doing so with a lot of questions and curiosity about just how one part might apply to something new.
Continue to beckon me deeper into the stories of scripture. Accompany me into that arena where the voices of scripture dance and sometimes tussle with the deeper questions of life. Wherever I am, Gracious God, continue to connect me to your love that is limitless and relentless, a love that seeks to affirm me in every moment. Amen.
