A proposal was made at the United Nations that the Scriptures of every religion be revised; everything in them that leads to intolerance or cruelty should be deleted; everything that damages the dignity of human beings should be destroyed. When it was found that the author of the proposal was Jesus Christ, reporters rushed to his residence. His explanation was simple: “Scripture, like the Sabbath, is for human beings, not human beings for Scripture.”
"THE SONG OF THE BIRD"
Anthony de Mello S. J.
It has always seemed to me that some people worship the scriptures instead of God. They insist that a literal understanding of the bible is the only understanding of "truth". What about what has happened in the last 2-3 thousand years since the Hebrew and Christian scriptures were written? Has God been silent? I think not!
I love these two sayings from the United Church of Christ:
“Never put a period where God has placed a comma.”
"God is still speaking."
While I'm not a member of this or any church at present, these statements are a much closer representation of what I believe than a static and unbending interpretation of the bible. I honor the bible above all books, but with a fluid interpretation open to the living human experience. God is alive and active in our lives and world, and I for one don't intend to let my limited understanding be an obstacle in God's way!
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