B
bebeyesha
Guest
Friends, let me introduce you to a philosophical
principle: There’s no such thing as “uninterpreted” truth.
Only God possesses that. But if you’re a human being
(which I presume you are because I’ll be pretty terrified if
you’re not), you only possess interpreted truth.
One day, a teacher wanted to teach her kids about
the evils of alcohol. She got a glass of water and a glass
of whisky and two worms. First, she dropped one worm in
the glass of water. The worm gently glided through the
liquid, doing a backstroke and humming a tune.
Next, she dropped the other worm in the glass of
whisky. Poor creature. It gyrated and coiled up as though
to protect itself and, in three seconds flat, dropped to the
bottom of the glass dead as a rock.
Smiling contentedly, the teacher looked at her
awestruck classroom of kids and asked, “Well, children,
what lesson can you learn from this experiment?”
A small boy from the back raised his hand and said,
“We should drink whisky so that we won’t have worms.”
I repeat: As long as there are humans involved, it’s all
in the interpretation.
The first time I really read the Bible, I was only 12
years old.
And it changed my life. In those pages, I found God and
I gave my life to Him.
I loved the Word so much, I devoured it. And through
the years, I’ve
seen it bless millions.
But when you study history, I’m shaken by this fact:
People have used the Bible to oppress, battle, torture and
kill people. For centuries, popes and Protestant preachers
justified slavery because it was in the Bible. And then there’s
the Crusades in the Middle Ages where thousands of Muslims
and Jews were massacred by Catholics commissioned by the
Pope — who had the book of Joshua as the model.
Friends, it’s not the Bible that causes wars, torture,
violence and oppression.
It’s our wrong interpretation of the Bible.
Let me repeat: Because what we possess is an
interpretation, we should remain humble. And it should
prevent us from harming others in our self-righteousness.
It is here that I propose my interpretation of the Bible.
(And because it’s only an interpretation, I share it to you
with humility.)
When I read the Bible, my “eyeglasses” is the life of
Jesus — His life of radical love. Specifically, His greatest
commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” This,
I believe, is the essence and center of the entire Bible. It’s
also the essence of Christianity itself and, I believe, of all
religions of the world.
So when an interpretation of a particular Bible verse will
cause me to degrade, oppress or insult another human being,
it must be wrong. Because it conflicts with the life of Jesus
and the greatest commandment of love.
So are you becoming more like Jesus every day? Peace and Grace friends! God speed!principle: There’s no such thing as “uninterpreted” truth.
Only God possesses that. But if you’re a human being
(which I presume you are because I’ll be pretty terrified if
you’re not), you only possess interpreted truth.
One day, a teacher wanted to teach her kids about
the evils of alcohol. She got a glass of water and a glass
of whisky and two worms. First, she dropped one worm in
the glass of water. The worm gently glided through the
liquid, doing a backstroke and humming a tune.
Next, she dropped the other worm in the glass of
whisky. Poor creature. It gyrated and coiled up as though
to protect itself and, in three seconds flat, dropped to the
bottom of the glass dead as a rock.
Smiling contentedly, the teacher looked at her
awestruck classroom of kids and asked, “Well, children,
what lesson can you learn from this experiment?”
A small boy from the back raised his hand and said,
“We should drink whisky so that we won’t have worms.”
I repeat: As long as there are humans involved, it’s all
in the interpretation.
The first time I really read the Bible, I was only 12
years old.
And it changed my life. In those pages, I found God and
I gave my life to Him.
I loved the Word so much, I devoured it. And through
the years, I’ve
seen it bless millions.
But when you study history, I’m shaken by this fact:
People have used the Bible to oppress, battle, torture and
kill people. For centuries, popes and Protestant preachers
justified slavery because it was in the Bible. And then there’s
the Crusades in the Middle Ages where thousands of Muslims
and Jews were massacred by Catholics commissioned by the
Pope — who had the book of Joshua as the model.
Friends, it’s not the Bible that causes wars, torture,
violence and oppression.
It’s our wrong interpretation of the Bible.
Let me repeat: Because what we possess is an
interpretation, we should remain humble. And it should
prevent us from harming others in our self-righteousness.
It is here that I propose my interpretation of the Bible.
(And because it’s only an interpretation, I share it to you
with humility.)
When I read the Bible, my “eyeglasses” is the life of
Jesus — His life of radical love. Specifically, His greatest
commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” This,
I believe, is the essence and center of the entire Bible. It’s
also the essence of Christianity itself and, I believe, of all
religions of the world.
So when an interpretation of a particular Bible verse will
cause me to degrade, oppress or insult another human being,
it must be wrong. Because it conflicts with the life of Jesus
and the greatest commandment of love.