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It Should Be Easy

December 15, 2023

“It should be easy. Here it is in black and white. How can people argue about it?”

He was in a Bible study class composed almost entirely of people who went to church regularly but who had never read the book.

He was reading in one English translation. Had he but lined up say five English translations, there may have been 2-3 different words in that passage. They may or may not have changed the meaning very much. But the nuance of the verse could have changed.

He also fell victim to the fallacy that should have been overcome by high school English classes. Unfortunately, few high school courses actually teach one how to read.

There must be hundreds of phrases and sentences taken from the Bible that altered the course of history that were completely out of context of the meaning. As I type these words several flash through my brain.

Humans so easily fool themselves into thinking they have completely arrived at understanding and wisdom, when in reality they are creatures in the process of growing. We have so much hubris as to think we know more than people who have spent their entire adult lives studying ancient Greek. And I have read some of those who still discuss the meaning of one word Paul used in a certain place. I started to learn New Testament Greek and then thought “How do I expect to learn enough in a few months to be better than scholars who have devoted 30 years to the study?”

Back to the question. It is easier if we devote time and curiosity to exploring the complete paragraph or letter. It helps to have a guide who can lead us through the logic of the Greek in the passage which is different from the logic we use in English. I am currently refreshing my knowledge of German and learning Spanish. (I should be doing Irish Gaelic and Welsh given I have grandparents from each heritage.) Each of these has its own logic. And the brief introduction to Gaelic shows me another set of logic principles.

I return to my thought about time and curiosity along with humility. As soon as we say we don’t know everything, then the work of learning begins.

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Why Is It So Confusing?

December 8, 2023

One of my wife’s friends recently talked about the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew’s gospel. She was left with questions—something like where is Mary when other women are mentioned in the list and others.

I wrote back to her. The Messiah is supposed to be a descendent of David. So, beginning with David, Matthew traces through Solomon and Luke through Nathan. Interesting. Both go to David, but through different sons.

Then there is Joseph. Matthew and Luke ascribe Joseph to different fathers.

A very early church leader suggested that Matthew traces the genealogy through Joseph who was Jesus’ legal father. That seems to fit the overall tone of his story. Luke, on the other hand, traces through Mary, but he couldn’t actually say that due to cultural norms. Given Luke’s generally positive portrayal of women, that makes sense to me.

But…

The same leader thought some more—always a dangerous thing. He remembered the cultural norm about when a brother dies childless the next brother in line marries the wife to father children in the brother’s name. Remember the story when the Sadducee asked Jesus about such a case and who would be the husband in heaven. And Jesus told him he missed the point.

Anyway this early thinker supposed that perhaps Solomon fathered a child in Nathan’s name and that Heli or Jacob fathered Joseph in that same brother marries wife situation.

I like the Mary genealogy scenario because it is simpler and makes sense. There is a philosophical razor that suggests the simplest explanation that fits the facts is probably the best.

But, unfortunately, what was my wife’s friend to do? Why is it so confusing. Why didn’t they just come right out and say what they meant plainly and clearly?

I don’t know.

I do know that I’m happy that I changed my career to technology rather than being a philosophy professor. Professors spend their time on these idle speculations.

For me, Jesus was born, and he died, and he came back to life. And what he taught (I think he actually meant what he said) are words that we can live by. Anything else is mere froth on the latte.

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Study Groups

November 29, 2023

Did you ever wonder why the Hebrew scriptures are appended to the stories about Jesus and the early church along with advice to the first followers?

Let’s take a look at a story from the Christian scriptures called the Road to Emmaus found in Luke’s history. Two of Jesus’s followers were walking to a village called Emmaus shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus. They were trying to get their minds around these sudden turns of events.

A man joined them along the way. He explained to them from the Hebrew scriptures the meaning of Jesus’s coming, ministry, death, and resurrection. They sort of went, “Wow, that makes sense.” They reached a house and had something to eat. The stranger took a loaf of bread, blessed it, and broke it. The two guys went something like, “Hey, wait a minute, you’re Jesus, aren’t you?” And the man disappeared.

The first Jesus-followers took that story to heart and searched through those ancient texts looking for every mention that could point to Jesus. And that is why the first council of bishops back in the 4^th Century appended the section we call the Old Testament to the Christian scriptures called the New Testament when then compiled the first Bible. (Yes, there was no Bible for 300 years.)

Now let me take you to a different time and place. I attended freshman chemistry with 699 of my closest friends. Well, actually, I probably knew 10. Grading was done on a strict normal curve. A small percentage received As, a larger group received Bs, a massive group got Cs, a group larger than the Bs got Ds, and a group larger than the As received Fs.

I was getting Cs. Then somehow I was invited to form a small chemistry study group. We went over the texts and notes before the tests (there were two tests that combined formed your grade). After being in the study group, my grade went to B.

Yes, I’m suggesting that small study groups form a tool that would be of great help in pursuing your spiritual discipline of study.

I suggest a few ground rules.

Agree that everyone is willing to learn new things
Keep an open mind
Don’t let someone with fixed opinions on everything to dominate the discussion—a good leader/moderator gets everyone involved
Keep discussion open and civil
Agree to disagree (agreement is nigh on to impossible at times)
Psychologist Adam Grant says that we all tend to either be prosecutors, preachers, or politicians meaning that we have the right answer and seek to impart it; rather be a scientist who puts forth a hypothesis and then invites disagreement in order to prove or disprove it.

Footnote: I have read a few Jewish Rabbis who have rebutted the claims of those early Christians about John as a prophet and Jesus as a Messiah. They “prove” from text and tradition that neither meet the criteria. That is the intellectual reason that in general Jews do not accept the entire Christian story.

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Philosophy versus Theology

October 18, 2023

There was a time where I studied theology. Not at university. But I read. I subscribed to an academic journal. I thought.

But it was all dead. Just arguments over various ideas. (Maybe I’m mad that Theology Today didn’t publish one of my poems, but I doubt that. I seldom get mad.) I would get a feel for where the academic thinking was and then drop it for a while. A curiosity thing.

Philosophy, on the other had, was more life giving. Not the academic philosophy from the university. But glancing on my bookshelf and seeing Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Bacon, Pascal, Montaigne. They explored ideas, but they also explored how to live a fulfilled life.

We can read the Jewish and Christian scriptures that way, too. Oh, we can read these to find a list of rules that separate us from the heathen. Or, we can read what Jesus said and did and learn about living. We can read where James warns us about how our tongue can get us into trouble. How Paul describes reciprocal relationships and how living in the Spirit gives us freedom.

Three times I read references to Thomas Aquinas. St. Thomas if you’re Catholic. Taking a hint, I pulled Summa Theologica from my shelves and began to read. It took a while to get used to that particular Latin literary style. But I wasn’t getting into it. Then came the realization, this is a book on defining terms. I could see its importance for the job he was asked to do by the Pope. But, it isn’t speaking to me. I’m not studying for a degree. Or even to impress anyone (too late for that, now). My interest lies in living a better life. (Man, am I glad again that I dropped out of that Ph.D. track I began after university. That could have been my life.)

Take a hint. Read things that fill your mind with advice for life. You’ll find every day a better place for existence.

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Bring Mind and Heart Like an Open Vessel to Your Study

July 25, 2023

I try not to bring my prejudices and biases to my reading of the Bible; rather, I try to let the Bible speak to my prejudices and biases.

That thought came to me some time ago. I think about that. Is it true?

Ancient philosophy speaks often to the empty jar. Only the empty jar is useful. One that is filled is of no use to your current situation.

Similarly, the hole in the middle of a wheel. Only the emptiness of the hole makes it useful for supporting a bicycle or cart.

When we come to spiritual writing with our minds filled with ideas and theories, we are not open to the calling of the spirit in the words. We cannot hear when we are talking.

Approach the reading of sacred text open to the calling of the spirit. Inhale deeply to the bottom of your body through the mouth. Exhale slowly, completely, until depleted. By emptying ourselves we become ready to listen to another.

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The Black Magic Marker

April 26, 2023

Once upon a time there was a guy who, when faced with difficult passages in letters from the Apostle Paul, would say, “Get out your black magic marker and cover over this passage.”

He was joking, of course. As a sort of fundamentalist, he wouldn’t advocate modifying scripture. But he was serious in the sense we all are when we read something in biblical writing with which we disagree. Rather than say “I don’t know” like I mentioned yesterday, we choose to ignore it. Treat it as if it were non-existent.

At university and for many years following, I disliked the writings of Paul. He was anti-female, anti-gay, anti-sex. He was used by Christian preachers in southern US from before the Revolution to justify slavery. At a time when many of us were upset with the promoted racism and war of our government, he had written Romans 13 about supporting your government (something today’s American fundamentalists also ignore).

One day I said to myself, I don’t know. I took a deep dive into scholarship around his letters gaining some respect and insight into his thought.

It is OK to disagree. Even among ourselves. If we use that as a starting point for “I don’t know” and open ourselves up to deeper revelations.

I’ll leave you with this thought.

We are probably all familiar with the Shema, the Hebrew prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4. Jesus quotes it a couple of times—the part about you shall love the lord your God… NT Wright’s study of Paul pointed out what he calls Paul’s Shema. Meditating on this has led to new insights for me:

One God, the Father, from whom all things, and we (belong) to him.

And one Lord, Jesus Messiah, through whom all things, and we (live) through him.
1 Cor 8:6

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Searching Diligently

March 30, 2023

My morning chair for meditation and writing faces across a yard. This time of year I begin at dark and continue into the first light of dawn. Just before I can really see much outside, my eyes catch dark shapes flying low across the yard.

It’s the proverbial early bird searching for the worm. Robins have awakened. Soon I will see several hopping or running from spot to spot diligently looking for breakfast—for nourishment.

I should be at the same. Reading, reflection, meditation—diligently looking for food for the soul.

They are driven by basic survival needs—they find food or they die.

What drives us to search diligently for food for the spirit?

What causes us to become complacent and lazy? Can we admit that sometimes we open today’s devotional or reading and fail to concentrate? Our spiritual energy has come to a low point.

It’s the routine of the chair that helps. We are there. We are aware. We awaken to the need and begin return to the word.

And now we are ready for the day.

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Think About What You Read and Hear

March 10, 2023

Here comes a tale of two news sources. I read this week about a “study” done about whether a certain substance found in some artificial sugars could cause cancer. One source published the press release that stated a correlation between the substance and some cancers. The other source looked at the details of the study. It (the study) did not screen out for variables. The results were poorly reported by the researchers and by the media. In effect, one could not draw any worthwhile conclusions from the study.

This happens often. We only get a superficial report of a study. We do not received enough information about the study in order to draw an informed opinion. In fact, most media copy editors are looking for the most hyped headline possible in order to draw readers.

This trend can be found among US Congresspeople and others seeking celebrity. They try to be as outrageous as possible on social media in order to generate more “likes” each of which gives a dopamine hit.

Why do we see so many outright lies by so-called free speech advocates? Well, to generate “likes” from their intended audience (not me).

If you see or hear someone talking about the Bible, please take my advice. Suspend judgement until you can go to the source–the Bible–and research for yourself.

A popular writer in the 70s wrote a book on the letter to the Hebrews from the New Testament. I started to read that book. After a couple of chapters things started sounding a bit weird. So I went back to the beginning and opened my New Testament to the book of Hebrews and started a comparison. It didn’t take long before that book found a dark and dusty spot on my bookcase, and I began to read more honest and reputable works.

People unfortunately cannot all be believed. Think before leaping into unknown territories.

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Confusion

February 27, 2023

I wonder if geese become confused.

It’s northern Illinois in late February. We have warmer days and colder days. The ice on the ponds has melted in spots and remains in spots. Do you wonder what exactly geese see when they are circling above and coming in for a landing at a pond they know well? Have you ever seen them land on the ice and go skidding for several feet?

During my walk, I saw most of the flocks of geese swimming in the open water. There was a couple, though, walking on the water–well, the ice at the other end of the pond. Everyone else was contented. They raised a ruckus with their honking.

Were they confused? Looking for help?

I wondered about our confusion. Perhaps reading something from the Bible or some random spiritual writer. Inevitably we will read something confusing. What is our response?

Do we ignore it and hope it will go away?

Do we think of something we agree with that is similar and just push past that part?

Do we pause? Puzzle over the phrase? Grab our iPhone, go to Safari, search for what other people on the Web have to say?

Perhaps we stop and contemplate for a while. Opening ourselves to God for the spirit to bring us at least a partial enlightenment.

I used to rush through things. I’d try to do many things at once. Then I learned to slow down. Hit the Pause button. Instead of looking for immediate relief from confusion, stopping to think and contemplate.

We can wonder where the water is and honk our fool heads off. Or, we can pause and re-center ourselves and find the open water.

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Approaching The Study of the Bible

February 1, 2023

How do we approach the reading of the Bible? Any book, actually, but especially the Bible?

I try not to bring my prejudices and biases to my reading of the Bible; rather, I try to let the Bible speak to my prejudices and biases. At least, that is my goal.

A philosopher called Jacques Derrida thought that we cannot divorce any writing or reading from our prejudices. (Side note: I’ve been forever grateful that I ignored one of my English professor’s invitation to become an English major. They seemingly all became disciples of Derrida, which I am not.)

The early Christians read the Hebrew scriptures carefully and thoroughly. But they were not particularly interested in Jewish history or religion. They searched diligently for any mention of Jesus. Jewish scholars to this day are aghast at the interpretations that arose. But it satisfied the soul of the early Christians at the time.

But I wonder…do I search the Bible for sentences that reinforce my biases and prejudices? Am I searching for what Jesus is saying to me now, in my current situation? Am I searching for universal truth?

I just read through the Proverbs. I found many ideas that spoke clearly to me at this time in my life. I’ve read them before. But now there is perhaps deeper understanding.

I try to pause, open my heart and mind, and then read the thoughts there before me. Maybe that day something will open my eyes just a bit more and give me just a bit more of God’s Wisdom.

Posted in Attitude, Disciplines, Study | Leave a Comment »

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