Read that again.

I have been thinking lately and I can not figure out why we seem to make things harder than they really are. We seem determined to read more than there really is into a lot of situations and then continue to repeat that little exercise until we get to a point that we can not really explain why we believe what we say we do.

Our explanations are usually something along the lines of...its always been that way...or we have been told that's what something means so many times, that we just believe it without any "real" study or understanding. I am frustrated with the whole debate over Women's roles in churches.

We seem to read the Bible through what ever "tradition" that we were raised with and hardly ever seem to read the Bible as it is really written...as a story. There I said it. It is not a rule book, sorry to all my church of Christ folks, it is not a puzzle where you find the verse you need to solve a problem. It is the Story of God through History. I think we need to read the Bible along side of tradition not through it.

There is a difference. When we read it along side of tradition the Bible will remain the source of truth...and at times traditions must change. If we continue to read it "through" our tradition we tend to make the Bible say what we want it to say.

Let me offer a great book to you if you are interested in this idea. Scot McKnight wrote a book titled " Blue Parakeet" it is a great book that deals with this subject of rethinking the way we read the Bible. We need to rethink our out dated interpretations of some issues. It is really not as hard as we make it...Remember it is GOD'S story, not ours.


Peace.