A Rant
It drives me crazy to listen to someone explain how their perception, interpretation, or opinion is the only correct one. Do you know people who, no matter how wrong they might actually be, they will not budge about being right? I do. Many of them claim to follow Christ. Many of them are pastors, leaders, and teachers in some ministry or another.
For at least 2000 years, people have been interpreting the teachings in the Bible. A collection of writings such as the Bible spans many, many years. During those many years, cultural, political, and spiritual climates obviously changed. What was acceptable in the Old Testament is not in the New, for example. So even within the Bible itself, new interpretations were being made.
Then enters this man named Jesus, the son of Joseph. He says things like, “you have heard it said that…” and “but I say…” These are his new interpretations of old, long standing traditional teachings, often teaching handed down from generation to generation dating back to Moses. Many so-called laws were often evaluated in light of new cultural, political, and spiritual climates. Even Paul, a life long Jew comes to the conclusion that the dietary laws so crucial to the ritual and devotion of the Jews should no longer be binding.
So I sit in class and listen to pseudo-intellectuals debating whether the King James version is the only true version of the Bible, and other important matters, and I just go nuts.
If you put 100 followers of Jesus in a room and said, “OK, we gathered you here to hammer out the binding, non-negotiable, essential aspects of salvation.” You would be there a very long time, and you would not have a unanimous decision. In fact, I would say that if you tried that with 10 followers of Jesus, you may get 10 different answers regarding the “essentials” of salvation.
So why do I point this out? Because we can believe that we have “it” right. We can become drunk with arrogance, and become deaf to dialogue. We can lose all compassion and love and understanding. We can become the very Pharisees who crucified the One we claim to follow.
Are there tough questions that require tough answers? Sure.
Are the some answers that will offend and possibly marginalize other people? Perhaps.
But why do it in arrogance and ignorance instead of exploring possibilities in love?
Dan Kimball, an author of a few books about Christianity in today’s post-modern culture, has written a new book called, “They Like Jesus, but Not the Church.” A sad, but true reminder of negative impact that we are having in our culture.
Ghandi is quoted as saying, “Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
And this is our legacy.
Sadly, I agree.
Labels: Arrogance, Dan Kimball, Ghandi, interpretation, rant
posted by Mike @ 11:57 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I posted my thoughts on your my space blog I was going to copy it and put it on here but it's waiting for "approval" haha
yeah, that blog does not have the verification like blogger does. anyone can post anything as a comment on your main page or you blog. i prefer to maintain the right to not let some things be published. (prerogative of the editor)
I understand why you monitor your my space comments..I put my profile on personel for the same reason ..there are some strange people on my space
Here is what i wrote......
Sadly, I agree too. The word Christian can leave a bad impression when you are dealing with the outspoken judgmental attitudes. Because I go to 2 different churches...2 very different "house churches"...I have learned to be more open minded but I find myself sometimes comparing. There are certain things I don't compromise on when it comes to salvation but it doesn't mean that I can't listen to someone else's thoughts and opinions with an open mind. There are certain things that are "nonessential". In my own opinion, the translation of the Bible is one of those...If you like the King James version then use it but it doesnt read well for me and I don't feel that God speaks to me in that translation...you need to use what you understand. I don't feel there is a "right" translation. There are ways to agree to disagree in a respectful loving way....it sounds like some of the people in your class need a lesson on that. I learned alot of this the hard way as you know because my husband alot of times thinks differently than I do on certain things but they aren't worth an argument I think most people need to do alot more listening..alot less talking
I love Dan Kimball and I can't wait to read his new book (Tell the Relevant people to hurry up!)
The older I get, the more I realize how much I really don't know - I hope that as I get older, that I won't fall into the trap of thinking that just because you have more years than someone here on this earth, that makes you an expert on something - especially when it comes to God and His Kingdom.
I used to be in the boat of thinking my interpretations were the only correct ones... and then I realized how much my culture, climate, and biases affected my interpretations--not to mention that I'm a mere human being whose stupidity far outweighs his intelligence.
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