ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 31, 2022
In Staff Meeting yesterday, we compared two translations of Psalm 145:18. The first one, from the New Revised Standard Version, reads:
“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”
The second one, from the Common English Bible, reads:
“The LORD is close to everyone who calls out to him,
to all who call out to him sincerely.”
They generally have the same feel, but I was intrigued by the choice of the translators when it came to the last word-“truth” or “sincerely”. My intrigue moved to discomfort and then irritation when I came across two sermons that suggested God comes close only to those who know the truth. And, of course, each of those ministers had THE TRUTH. It is interesting that they each had a slightly different take on the real truth. My ego can sometimes get a little over-inflated, but I do not have the arrogance to suggest that I have THE TRUTH that will guarantee whether God will come near. It sounds to me like ministers who do not trust the message of Jesus, the message of God’s limitless and relentless love. The only way I might suggest having the truth is to say that Jesus came to get rid of all the religious nonsense where one person attempts to hold others captive with power, guilt and fear. The truth, I think, we need to believe is that God has always been and always will be close to every single one of us. It’s not about earning it or saying the magic words or looking more pious than others. In fact, it’s just the opposite. God was there when I had failed miserably, couldn’t find the right words and looked about as pious as the pile of dog doo on my front sidewalk (almost stepped in it on my way to get the mail). I think that’s the truth, and when we approach it sincerely, I think we have a better chance of appreciating it.
Thanks for being there for me, O God. Thanks for being there no matter how I show up or even when I don’t show up. Thanks for being there with a love that knows no limits. Amen.
