Bible covers human condition, we choose
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Editor,
“D***, people get so fired up on religion and Christianity. The Bible is a book, written by others about others. Then edited (how many times) translated, industrialized, and now stands where it does as a Western religion. Being Christian is like being American. The good and bad, selfish and selfless, open-minded and intolerant. They all exist, every person in a flawed society.” (Griffin Chanley)
These words were written by Chanley as “comments” to an Edgar Cayce (ARE) video I was watching. Content of the video is not important here. I was just interested in Chanley’s observations on the Bible, that text which many believe to be ultimate in sacredness and the infallible “Word of God.”
I, personally, grew up with Bible study in Sunday school, then advanced to the adult pews in the sanctuary and more Bible study, and even taught a Sunday school class for a short time. And always the Bible was the sacred text we used and learned from. The Old Testament dealt pretty much with “creation” and the New Testament with “love” as I see it.
As relates to what I understand as “The Word of God,” I have often reflected on what I read in the many contrasts in Biblical text. One time it is filled with violence, other times with peace and love. There is hate, there is forgiveness; there is killing and there is compassion. It seems to cover the human condition quite completely.
So, in reading Chanley’s comments, it reminded me once again how representative the Bible is of both our human expressions coming from fear and our human expressions coming from love.
Maybe that’s what this Bible is really all about. To show us both sides and let us choose our path. After all, “God’s Word” really means little until we live it.
Bob McClellan
Polson
