Anti- language

w00t! 

Dude

That's so rad - so bad - so cool...  

LOL! 

With every generation (does it even take that long?) words can change meaning can change purpose.  In our desire to be "in" while still being different from those people we come up with our own ways of expressing ourselves.  Those who are "in the know" know what we are talking about.  And those who don't - well they aren't worth our worries.  

Youth are the biggest users on language that can have multiple meanings.  yet adults do it all the time as well.  The different meanings run across cultures.  A rubber in england is not the same thing as a rubber in the states.  

So why/ how can we assume that the biblical texts have one specific meaning that we completely understand.  Those that make this claim are really claiming that they are the ones "in the know" and that they have the right translation / interpretation.  But is that fair?  

I don't think so...   

I do believe that God was / is very involved in what the scriptures have to tell us.  The fact that the canon and the stories have traveled through the centuries is amazing.  But I also believe that God leads us through the bible and helps us to understand what we need to hear today.  Each day - every day - something a little different.  

Everyone picks and chooses what they see in the bible - otherwise we would have children burned at the stake for talking back to their parents.  What I believe is that God works through these stories - this language to try and share how to have a faith journey.  

Semantics - word play - it's there - There are jokes in the biblical texts that we don't get - just like there are jokes in Shakespeare that we don't get.  It's situational and we aren't in that situation.  That doesn't mean there isn't good truth and depth there.  It does mean that we have to accept that we won't ever entirely get it.  "Now we see in part".   

Still don't throw the baby out with the bath water - 

It may not be our culture - we may not completely understand - but God will give us insights and help us see things differently if we are willing to dig in.  

Well - at least that's the way I interpret it.