Scripture: Romans 12:9-10
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
Thought for the Day: Last night, I finished my three week class on Sex and the Bible. Actually, it was more like I ran out of time. With that said, the conversation was wonderful and the giggling was kept to a minimum. Throughout the class, we have looked at the ancient culture and the values that no longer make sense in today’s world. First, women are not property, yet much of the Bible talks of marriage in terms of a contract between the father and the husband to-be (or the father of the husband to-be). For most of us, this is no longer an acceptable value. And most of us would even go as far as saying that it goes against the values of God. Girls were betrothed to their husbands when they were very young, and marriage occurred shortly after they started menstruation – around the age of 12 or 13. Usually this marriage was to a man who was much older and might even have another wife. Again, our culture would describe this as unacceptable and illegal…and for good reason.
So how do we understand the Bible, an ancient text created in a time with very different cultural values, as normative and informative for today’s world. As I started to suggest at the end of the class, we must dig deeper. It won’t be as clear as some people would like, but there is Good News to be found that stretches across the boundaries of history. For instance, in this short passage from Romans, we find ideas that push the thinking of both ancient cultures and our own. Paul speaks about love – the kind of love we have found in Jesus Christ – the kind of love that shows no hypocrisy (genuine) – and he places that love alongside a deep and abiding respect (mutual affection). It is from this kind of love, that a person is able to strive toward the lofty goal of putting the other’s needs above self (outdo one another in showing honor).
I’m not suggesting this passage is going to dramatically reduce teen pregnancies or significantly change our unhealthy sexual attitudes, but I do believe where families teach and churches live it, young people will grow-up with a valued understanding of self and neighbor… even when that neighbor is the beautiful or handsome individual with-whom they have a date this Friday night.
Prayer: God, allow us to look beyond ancient norms that can often be used to argue the irrelevance of Christianity. Instead, allow us to celebrate and live the genuineness of the Jesus-story that shows respect, love and concern for every human being. Amen.
