“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” Matthew 15 :8-9In essence, God is like flowing lava. He is constantly moving, consuming, and creating. Too much of religious life is spent on the cold hardened crust. We can take ore samples and conclude that God was once here, but God only lives in the now. He has moved on. The crust is predictable, sterile, cold, and lifeless – the perfect habitat for parasitic religion. The flow is dangerous, vibrant, peaceful, and free – God’s home. All too often, in hopes of finding stable ground, we settle for a second-hand description of truth – essentially rejecting the intense reality of living truth. Historical writings, commentaries, religious creeds, and systematic theologies are great when used in the right place and for the right reasons. If we look to them for the definitive interpretation of Scripture we are subjecting them to a standard they cannot uphold. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate source for interpretation. The disciple uses these cherished tools as catalysts. Disagreeing with them, he is thrust into scripture for truth to refute. Agreeing with them, she is thrust into scripture for truth that authenticates. As they spark new thought, we are encouraged that though nothing is new under the sun, God continues to reveal Himself afresh. Use the writings of others. Use the structures of religion. Use systematic theologies. But use them to get closer to the flowing presence of God, not to secure a self-preserving stronghold on the crust. We must risk the dangerous venture of intimacy with God through His revelation. We must ride the wave of life at the brink of flow.
4 comments:
Amen!
Too often I claim a piece of old lava crust as my own and try to cultivate a fertile crop of spirituality from it. By "spirituality", I mean the post-modern sense of the word, where it's something that makes you good and well-rounded. How awful it must taste to God!
It's frightening out in the hot lava, Tim. To be burned is to feel pain, to surrender, to admit I have problems that I can't handle. I know full well it's my fear, my pride that shrinks from the call.
C.S. Lewis tells the story of a man with a demon on his shoulder which he desperately wants an angel to crush, but is so unwilling to part with the small monster he has nourished. I think I have a shoulder full of them. I feel so weighed down sometimes, if I try to sprint to the head of the lava flow. I think I would fall to pieces in the High Country. I also think that is why I hear a constant call to climb.
Well said. I love C. S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. That particular picture rescued me years ago from a habitual sin in my life. I feel the same draw to and fear of the High Country, but continually try to rest in the peace that comes from being roped in with Christ. Thank you for your comment.
another post sometime soon?
Waiting....
Sweetheart.....
Hurry! Go!
or I'll drop ya like 3rd period French!
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