There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~Anaïs Nin

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Lent Day Fifteen - What's It All About?


“Meaningless, meaningless!
says the Teacher,
Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless”
Ecclesiastes 1:1,2


Yesterday I watched the CNN interview of Victoria Jackson’s comments on the controversial gay kiss on Glee.  I don’t know who she is or how she suddenly became the Christian voice but she was clearly upset about this kiss and went on in her interview to say   “muslims kill gays…muslims hate God and gays hate His word” all while waving a Bible in her hand.

Is this what God had in mind when he said “love your neighbor?” 

When King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes he was questioning his life. Having attained great wealth and wisdom, all the things of this world, he still felt empty.  And ultimately he drew the conclusion that there is no meaning in anything without God. 

But God has been reduced to fit agendas, He has been reduced to fit into our churches, and our limited understanding of who He is.  Some question my need to question God, saying God is beyond our understanding, but then those same people seem to claim they know God and what he wants because they rely on the Bible.  The infallible word of God. 

A book that has been translated and interpreted so many times, that the original intent may have been lost.   A book that some say should be read literally, and some say should not be read literally.  Learned theologians who reach entirely different conclusions.  Educated pastors who lead churches with opposite messages.  So is it like a salad bar?  Take what I like and leave the rest?  Pick and choose the Bible verses that serve my agenda?  Leaving me so confused that I wonder…what does one do when God becomes meaningless?

And then there’s Jesus… who came to teach us how to love others, how to be in a relationship with others so we could ultimately have a relationship with God.  Jesus, who died for us, to bridge the gap between a perfect God and a sinful world.  And I cling to that truth.  That one truth that God is love.  And any message that causes me to step away from love, any message that encourages hate, intolerance and divisiveness is not from God.  And how do I know this?  Because the Bible tells me so.

1 John 4:16  God is love.




10 comments:

  1. Very well put, Deborah. That's my very thoughts exactly. The Bible NEVER commanded us to love thy neighbor until something about him or her rubs us the wrong way. He just give us one simple commandment toward others: to love.

    And you know what's ironic about situations like this one? There's more commandments in the Bible to love someone unconditionally than there is anything else.

    That's like with women in ministry. When I was a child, I was told to believe a woman in ministry is doing wrong in the eyes of God because of one little verse that has nothing to do with plans God has for women in ministry.

    After all...unconditional love was the reason Jesus died (and rose again).

    Thank you for sharing this, my Sister in the Lord and blogger friend. Your blog is such a breath of fresh air.

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  2. I always look forward to hearing what you have to say! I would love to hear more of your journey with God. Maybe you could blog about it on your site?? :)

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  3. This just brings me back to the quote from that movie that meant so much to me...."the height of arrogance is the height of control of those who create God in their own image." That truly explains a lot to me about this world.

    I don't feel that "God" is meaningless but that sometimes the image of "God" is used to further personal agendas and that helps me to understand some of the evil in the world.

    I prefer to believe that God is love and is the spirit in all of us - that gives me faith.

    Dana

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  4. Hi Dana! Thanks for stopping by my blog and thanks for your comments! I love the quote, thanks for sharing it :)

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  6. I strongly agree with JohnDana. Plain and simple: GOD IS LOVE!

    If people who like to justify the Bible to slam others would actually read the Bible for themselves, they'd see that Jesus not only died for everyone, but he walked among those even His followers considered undesirable. In fact, it was some of those in the temple selling, who felt they were living closer to God than anyone else, were the ones he was angry with and called a "den of vipers".

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  7. God is love indeed! and so much more as you know!! I tend to think the Bible is infallible and the true word of God. It has been translated over the years but I don't think content has changed with it. I think the Bible is one of the key ways God talks to his people. It is amazing how many times I can read it and still find something new in it; his word is alive in there :)

    I also think those of us who call ourselves Christ followers need to remember we are ambassadors for him in a world that needs to hear his message and we need to be kind and loving to all, no matter what or who.

    betty

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  8. "I also think those of us who call ourselves Christ followers need to remember we are ambassadors for him in a world that needs to hear his message and we need to be kind and loving to all, no matter what or who." -Betty

    I couldn't agree more.:)

    I do still think we have to have the integrity to call right right and wrong wrong though, in a loving way. I sometimes am a bit amazed that the word "tolerance" has been so twisted that now you can't even disagree with something without being bombarded with words like "hate" and "intolerant". (Again, not talking about you Deborah, just the Western world in general.:)

    Have a great day.:)

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  9. I agree Colleen, there is definitely right and wrong, God clearly defines that in his Ten Commandments. My issue with this lady was her sweeping judgments on entire groups of people. I, as a Christian, am embarrassed to think that people might watch that interview and think all Christians think like she does.

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  10. I hear you. I cringe a lot at what I hear other people say too.:)

    Never at myself though. I always say the right thing.;)

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