I started writing on a Biblical view of global warming but that post has taken on a mind of its own and will be too long for this space; so I switched gears.
I have been reading through Clancy’s Ryanverse for the past several months. In his book Teeth of the Tiger we read on 382 (somewhat redacted for language):
…He was able to download the Koran, and started reading it. The holy book had forty-two suras, broken down into verses, just like his on Bible. Of course, he rarely looked at it, much less read it, because as a (orientation removed) he expected the (clergy) to tell him about the important parts, letting him skip all the work of reading about who the _____ begat what the ______- maybe it had been interesting, and even fun. At the time, but not today, unless you were into genealogy, which wasn't a subject of dinner-table conversation in the Ryan family…In my estimation Clancy has nailed the vast majority of people’s view of the Bible.
- It is no longer relevant.
- It is the domain of priests, clergy, and scholars.
- It is not read
- It is not discussed
- I know what it says and it is like the other holy books that are out there
That he is spot on. I've shared my own struggles regarding "hearing God" with you, and I think perhaps the church could do a better job of helping each other do that. I enjoy the academic side of theology, but the lifeblood of faith is in the mystery of it - the relationship with El Shaddai. If we had that, the bible would be more relevant culturally.
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more. Good stuff Ky.
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