I think I feel towards the bible the way I have felt towards Christianity for many years, I don't use it the way everyone else seems to, therefore it's not meant for me.
The bible is a lot of things, I find it inspirational, it teaches me and enlightens me. I do draw strength from the stories and the "characters" inside the same as I would any other book that resonated in my soul. These stories connect for me, I can identify with so many of them.
Noah for instance. A man with a vision, or a dream, who's mocked and laughed at and ridiculed, but his faith is strong and he somehow perseveres in the face of all of the doubt and obstacles to accomplish this great thing and save the lives of his family and the animal kingdom... something of which I'm particularly fond of.
Sarah, who laughed when she was told god's plans for her because they seemed so outlandish, so ridiculous.
Jonah who petulantly refused to do as god told him, even after being swallowed by an enormous fish, he still wasn't thrilled with his task. I feel this way often as one of my latest favorites sayings seems to be "Fine! I'll do it, but I don't have to like it!" I see Jonah doing that as he's spat on the shore out of his adventure in the fish belly.
What of Moses who didn't feel capable of doing what God had planned for him, or Esther who never could have foreseen how she would save all her people simply because she was created for "Such a time as this."
There are stories of heroes and villains, men and women of faith, imperfect, flawed characters who interact with a perfect and powerful god... and what of Christ?
Life is uncertain, we may never know who he was, IF he was, but the stories in that bible about this savior are remarkable and to me, tell the story of great love, courage and friendship. I gain peace from believing that Christ lived and was exactly who he said he was, but whether the stories in the bible are factual records, fables, metaphors, or complete fabrications, I still find them comforting, encouraging, uplifting... but no matter what you believe about the bible, I will tell you without shadow of a doubt the one thing that book was never meant to be, was a weapon.
"The Good Book" was never intended to be the thing we beat people over the head with until they submit to our way of thinking. I don't believe for one second that in this day and age we are supposed to take anything from those scriptures literally and we certainly are not to pick and choose which ones we do!!
Those stories were written in specific times directed towards specific people with specific problems, it is not a generalization for how all humanity should live their lives. Even if you want to go all the way to the belief that the bible is the word of god breathed into existence by his spirit, nowhere in it does it tell us to hate, to condemn, to judge, cause pain or to use the words within to inspire a mob mentality in a group of individuals who will mindless go through the town stoning adulterers and burning witches or condemning people for their sexual preferences.
At the end of the day this book is known as the word of god and there is truly only one word, one message of the bible and that's the message of love.
When and if we steep our lives in love, we obtain the power to do the miraculous. We have peace and deep abiding joy. We have the ability to heal and bless. We will strengthen our bonds to those around us. We can lighten suffering, ease pain, and in truth... we will allow people to actually hear the legacy of Christ and the good book and what a relationship with the god of the universe means to you which is all you really have to give.
Love is the point of it all.
With love, we can do amazing things.
We are strong. We stay faithful. We encourage one another. We build things, create things, teach, evolve, become so much more.
I adore my bible, it's an important book to me and I do take strength from it, but I live my life based on the god-voice that lives inside me that if you do read the bible and you do believe the stories, is the spirit of god given us upon Christ's resurrection. It's our direct line and we all have one. So perhaps the next time you feel the need to take a bible and beat someone over the head with it's message of love and grace that you have twisted into one of bondage and fear, you could take a sec and listen to that god-voice within you, because I'm quite certain that it's weeping loudly in those moments, begging you not to be so blind, but to open your mind to the truth you claim to love so dearly, but refuse to see.
This is an amazing life we have been given and we do indeed live in interesting times. There is much to be concerned over and curious about. There are so many things possible to us right now with our technology and abilities. Live your life, live it abundantly, learn all you can, but at the end of the day, if you believe in Christianity, in the bible, then never forget that the truth of both the word and son of God... is love.
Plain and simple.
So go out and practices some of that the next time you are all fired into a frenzy over something. I guarantee you, you'll find deeper peace, gain broader wisdom, and achieve a level of enlightenment you weren't aware existed... plus, you stand a much greater chance of getting the god of the universe to smile on you and that's a pretty damn nice moment... just sayin' ;-)
I'm so deeply grateful to the god of the universe who enlightens, teaches, protects and saves me. He is doing amazing things in my life, this year above all others and I'm on day two of my three week commitment, day one... not done perfectly, but I know that god is bigger than my screw ups and I know he blesses me by my heart and I know that he is unleashing supernatural elements into my life as we speak, because I asked for them, and I welcome them.
He loves me. He takes great joy in blessing me. And I think I've finally learned to simply let him.
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