Without Error

 A good friend, a valued mentor, and I recently had a discussion about the infallibility and inerrancy of the Goat Herder’s Guide to the Galaxy. In having this discussion, I began to wonder if I had led some of you astray in regards to the Goat Herder’s Guide in terms of its authenticity and authority. I want to be clear, though the text of scripture come from “ordinary people,” it provides insight into God and our path necessary to be faithful. Today, I offer this post for you.

          I am not walking back my comments of my earlier post. There is the miraculous in ordinary people, several millennia ago writing about their experience with God, being read by an ordinary person seeking to follow God. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, the language of the marketplace. So even within its original language, it was written for the common person. The texts were thought valuable enough that there are about 5,800 manuscripts of the bible in the original Greek. There are another 10,000 in Latin and 9,300 in other languages. The language of the Old Testament, Hebrew, was the language of the Israelite peoples, and was translated into Greek as well. There are those who believed that it was important enough for you to have a bible in your hand, that they were willing to die and did. I love that it is through this medium that God so often reveals himself to us.

          This brings us to the conversation of how reliable is the book you have in your hand that is called the Bible, or the Goat Herder’s Guide? Although the original manuscripts of the Gospels and Letters have been lost, presumably by deterioration, the fact that there are thousands of copies, even more partial copies, and references made in other writings, attests to the reliability of what you read is what was intended. This should not be construed with the concepts of literality, infallibility, and inerrancy.

          These concpets of scripture range from the strict application to the very loose. The concept of literality is that what is written in the bible happened the exactly way it is described. Thus, in Genesis human life began with only two people. Those who are very literal contend that Adam and Eve were real people, and that they were it; there were no others. Inerrancy roughly plays out the same way. Infallibility addresses the core message, that the message is consistent through scripture. These definitions are arbitrarily mine, though there are those who agree with me.

          I am not on the strict end of literality or inerrancy. Thus, while I believe that the Creation story is just that, a story, I do believe that God created us in his likeness. Within that story, Adam and Eve are symbolic of humanity, and thus presents the backdrop to what went wrong. It should also be noted, that literality and inerrancy vary through the texts of scripture. I believe that Jesus was crucified, the variation in the reports within the Gospels lend credence to the event actually happening. This would not be the case if there were no discrepancies. I believe that the tomb was empty. If the authors wanted the report of the resurrection to be more believable they would not have that it was women that discover the empty tomb. (Women were not considered credible witnesses, thus they could not provide testimony in court cases.) 

          However, I weigh in quite strongly in the infallibility of the message. The concept of infallibility is related but distinct from literality and inerrancy. Thus, I might not believe the conquest of Canaan was a genocide as described. (In fact, there is scriptural support to believing it didn't.) I still believe that the nation of Israel conquered Canaan. I might not believe that Jonah hung out in a big fish for three days, but I do believe he preached that it was time to repent to those in Nineveh. Where I am stricter in my infallibility are aspects that are central to our faith. I believe that God not only created us, but that he loves us. I believe that it was this love of us, that brought Jesus to walk amongst us. I believe that he was crucified, dying as a result. I believe he rose from the dead: physically. In terms of infallibility, these concepts are consistent within scripture, and form the core message within scripture.

          What I recognize is that there are doctrines for which there is pressure for us believe. Often literality and inerrancy are used to support such doctrines as being infallible. One glaring example goes back to Genesis and is the concept of “Young Earth” that take the story of Genesis as being an accurate rendering of events. The world was created in seven days, and thus is only several thousand years old. There are those that hold that if one does not believe in the “Young Earth” one is really not a Christian for they do not take scripture literally or inerrantly. My post of the Goat Herder’s Guide was to encourage you to consider how you read scripture. There are numerous areas that we need to take seriously, not literally.

          One of the aspects of scripture that I whole hearted believe is that in using humans to record scripture God did not override the personality or characteristics of the author. This would include the choice of particular words. Yet, this is how he has chosen to communicate with us. There is much more that could be written about but I will stop there. Sorry if this has come across as to academic. Thank you for your indulgence.

 The Goat Herder’s Guide to the Galaxy

Awhile ago I saw a meme on our favourite social media platform that read, “I just heard someone refer to the Bible as the ‘Goat Herder’s Guide to the Galaxy, and I now will forever be using this term.” It stuck, and I have begun calling the Bible the “Goat Herder’s Guide”. For me, it is a term that really resonates for a number of reasons. Of course, that the term is irreverent gives me great pleasure. The fact that there will be people that will turn red and be offended is highly motivating.

    By playing with the name I know I am venturing into a highly sensitive territory as there those people that subscribe to the Bible as being the “Word of God!” I have different view of scripture, one that is best captured in the phrase, “Do not confuse the map with the territory.” Please do not confuse my irreverence for disrespect. For I see within scripture the story of God’s love for people, and our trying to live within that love.

    However, what makes this moniker of the scriptures even more appealing is that I see a profound truth in the name. By the way, just in case you did not know, the title “Bible” just means book. There are two aspects of the name “The Goat Herder’s Guide” that I think are foundational to our faith and understanding scripture. If this blog was more academically inclined I might refer to the Bible as GHGG, but I won’t.

    The first aspect that I see is that the scriptures were created by absolutely ordinary people. While some of the characters contained within the pages of the book might be over-the-top, those who wrote the pages were just like you and me. Often when reading Genesis and Exodus I get a sense of sitting around a fire, sipping wine, and telling stories. The message that is inherent is that you and I, are able to provide divine revelation to other people.

    While the idea of Goat Herding seems much more Old Testament, the sentiment carries on in the New. The Twelve Apostles, Paul, and others were just ordinary people. The New Testament sees prophecy related to an activity, not a person, or a role. While I believe there are still those called into the role of a prophet, the rest of us still receive divine inspiration and guidance. God’s spirit is poured out over all of us, not just a few.

    The second aspect of the title reflects God’s use of human agency to enact his will. With our world view of the Big Bang and evolution, would the story of how the world came into being, be as poetic? I hazard a guess that it would not be. We would miss the nuances of beauty and majesty of creation. Would we step over that we were created in God’s likeness, male and female, to represent him on earth? The practice of creating likenesses of the Kings and placing them around the territory was a method of declaring dominion. I think our role as stewards of creation would escape us even more than it has already.

    God’s use of human agency has a cost. He is limited through our understanding of the world. This does have a hidden blessing, for in voicing himself through us, he ensures that the message can be understood by us. This aspect makes the text accessible to us. “No matter how feeble the human language of the Bible, it is our faith that mediates the self-disclosure of God.”[1] The use of faith, should be understood as our experience with God, not just a belief in the sacredness of the Goat Herder’s Guide.

    The limitation of using human agency also has detraction. The context of what is written may not be understood. The subtleties and nuances of the “Sermon on the Mount” are missed. This manifesto preached in Aramaic, most likely, and is recorded in Hebrew, used language and phrasing that would have been accessible to those to who Jesus taught. To read it superficially, as if your English translation caught the full depth of the sermon is to miss this point. The Goat Herder’s Guide is best read prayerfully and reflectively.

    So why is this all important? First, we are inclined to trust the instructions of others over our relationship with God. We so often defer to this author, that speaker, or this commentator. While education is important, the lack thereof is no limitation on God being able to speak to you. The means by which God most often “speaks” to us is scripture, the writings of one common person being read by another common person, and therein lays the wonder of scripture.

    The Goat Herder’s Guide also needs to be read reflectively and prayerfully. There has been great damage done by those quoting scripture out of context and then claiming divine authority. Above all else the perspectives that we need to read scripture are humility and love.

    Trust what God reveals to you as you read.

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[1] Michael Casey, Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina (Liguori, MO: Triumph Books, 1996), 79-100.

 

 

Any idiot can find God on a mountaintop!

The real challenge is finding God in the company of others as annoying as me.

 

This has been a bit of challenging week. I took a week long course on prayer. While I found it valuable, there was some distraction. Most of the motifs of prayer we studied came from those who practiced a monastic tradition. It is easy to pray when the only focus of one’s day is to be spiritual.

I understand the need to withdraw, Jesus did that often, and when he did, he prayed. There is much about the world that would require times to distance ourselves from the world. The emphasis on commercialism and the devaluing our fellow humans gets a bit much at times. As well, how we have made intolerance of each other fashionable seems a bit much. There are times that retreating to a quiet spot makes so much sense.

In the Old Testament there is the story of Elijah. He had retreated to the wilderness for it had become open season on prophets. God tells him go out and stand on the mountain, “For I am about to come by.” Elijah does just as he is told. There is standing on the mountain, and a wind storm hits, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then the entire mountain shook with an earthquake, but again God was not to be found. Then a fire breaks out, and unlike with Moses, God is not there. Finally, there is a quiet gentle whisper that is the voice of God.

There are times that we need to go quiet ourselves for divine revelation. Then again, any idiot can find God on a mountain top. That is not the calling of our faith. Yes, being in relationship with God is important. To retreat from the world, on a more permanent basis, seems to defeat the point. I know I risk being repetitive, but we are called to be in the world.

Yes, people in the Gospels sought Jesus. But it seems to me, that he also sought people out as well. I think of the Woman at the Well. Jesus went out of his way to talk to her, or perhaps talking with her was his intended way. Story after story in the Gospels has Jesus meeting people where they are the most traumatised, the most fragile, the most vulnerable. I think of Jesus walking out to the boat in the midst of a storm. (John 6:16-21) I would have doubts about a God that is not robust enough to reveal himself when things get messy. After all, is that not when you really want God?

My confession, I am more like Martha and not Mary. (Luke 10:38 – 42) I am more inclined to worry about feeding the crowd than to listen to the teaching. I do have my times of quiet reflection in my day. However, the prayers that resonate for me are not those that are well thought out and articulate, but those formed in the hectic moments of life.

My current prayer is the prof of the course prayer does not read this until he has assigned a grade!

 What does it mean to be a Christian?

 He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6.8

The easy part of answering this question is what sets Christianity apart from the other faiths in the world. According to St. Paul that is very simple and straightforward. “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10.9) There is some disagreement over what “saved” means, and I will address that in a later post. (My to do list is growing.)

                The first thing is that we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. This also means that we believe that he died on the Cross. Afterall, there is no resurrection unless one is dead. While this might seem to be an outrageous requirement, if Jesus was God (or part of the trinity), then rising from the dead would be a snap. And while there might be humour in the idea of the “zombie” Jesus, the seriousness of his resurrection is that not even death can separate us from the Love of God. It also establishes his authority.

                The second requirement for Christianity is that we make him Lord of our life. In other words, he is what we aspire to be. I personally believe that the spirit of God gives us a boost to do so. I find it interesting that when people find out that I am a Christian that there is a compulsion to tell me what Jesus as “Lord of my Life” wants me to do. But this actually where my faith gets interesting.

                To quote one of my favourite bloggers, Jenny Hawkins, the essence of Christianity is a way of being in the world. In his teachings Jesus moves the entire question of following the will of God, obedience, to principles. He quotes the Shema from the Old Testament, the Tanakh, with “Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (There is something about the English of the King James Version that resonates for me.)

                He further condenses this in the Sermon on the Mount to “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matt 7.12)  “The law and the prophets” is code for the entirety of scripture. Saint Paul repeats this sentiment with, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13.9)

                Do not think that Jesus has done us a favour. By shifting the focus of how we are to follow Jesus, there are fewer hard and fast rules. I write fewer, for there are still some absolutes. This shift moves us from a checklist style faith where people would tithe down to the spices in their cupboards, to relying on a relationship with God. This way of being also calls for a mindfulness of how we go through our days.

One of the ways that I think get “off track” is by turning our faith into a self-improvement program that focuses on not sinning. This usually involves abstaining from the “sins of the flesh.” These are generally reduced to acts of sexual immorality. However, the “sins of the flesh” include hatred, fits of rage, greed and the like. When our focus is on not doing the “bad”, those are often ignored. Don’t get me wrong, if one is engaging in acts such as adultery, spousal or child abuse, an addiction, or illegal activity, these should stop. While I do think that we need to clean up our act, that is not the end of the matter.

The apostle Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. (Gal 5.22&23) My experience is that when we concentrate on being those things, we don’t have to worry about the nastiness that we can do. If I go through my day focused on the love, respect, and dignity I am to afford others, my way of being is much less likely to harm another.

From my perspective, if more of us went about life in this manner, the world would be a much better place. We, and those around us, are better served when I concentrate on this life rather than a life after death.