Jeff Sessions quoted the Bible to support breaking up families at the border. When I heard that news, I guessed what passage he must have pulled out. It had to be Romans 13, where Paul writes about obeying the law, since “the powers that be are ordained by God.” Of course, Sessions quoted that passage – always a great favorite with despotic rulers. Good church-going folks supported the Nazi regime with that passage. “Gotta obey the law…”
“The devil quotes scripture for his own purpose,” Shakespeare wrote, and it’s true: The Bible must be the most misused book in all history.
We’ve all seen it. People use passages to support their bad behavior or choose verses to clobber people. As humans we can be blind to our own failings: this explains why most who get so hot under the collar about abortion are presumably not contemplating one; those who rage against same sex marriage aren’t planning on it.
Pointing fingers occupies us so that we forget that Jesus said nothing about abortion or same sex unions, but waxed eloquent about greed and covetousness.
Such a misused book. Can the Bible be read responsibly?
I believe so, but it must be read with wisdom, breadth, and humility.
Some thoughts that guide my reading:
First, I remember that the Bible is extremely complex – written by scores of different writers, over hundreds of years, in different genres. To read it “flat” like some do – every word directly from God’s mouth to my ear – warps the Bible. Neither Jesus nor Paul, used their Bible (the Old Testament) that way.
And I must read the Bible as an embodied Word; written within and therefore rooted in the particularity of human experience. It helps to know that Paul was writing his letters to particular groups of people facing particular challenges—which doesn’t make it irrelevant but deeper.
Second, I read scripture as a whole. Romans 13 (about obeying government) must be read alongside Revelation 13 (about standing up to government abuses), not forgetting the prophet Amos (who rails against the privileged establishment).
Mainstream denominations use a common lectionary to engage the whole of scripture. Each Sunday we read from the Old Testament, plus a psalm; we read from the New Testament and a gospel. We who go to these churches (or deliver sermons in them) are forced to read great chunks from all over the Bible, so we can’t sidestep passages we find personally distasteful.
Believe me, people who espouse a prosperity gospel – (follow God and you will get rich) – can only do so if their pastor picks a few verses to support that message, and does some fancy footwork to avoid passages reminding people not to trust riches, but to share with the poor.
Third, I read scripture asking Big Questions. What is God is like? What does God care about? How does God want us to live? The overall witness of scripture – Old Testament, gospels, Paul’s letters – answers these Big Questions fairly consistently. God is loving and faithful; cares about all. We are called to love God and neighbor.
Fourth, I am thankful that the Bible gives me a common text to share with others. Christians in Uganda and the Australian Outback have the same book we do to grapple with. As a Christian, I can’t just do anything I like because scripture speaks clearly about, say, lying, caring for the stranger, or being greedy.
We must grapple with scripture, writes theologian Stanley Hauerwas, so we aren’t blinded by our own cultural biases. After the 9/11 attacks, Hauerwas called Christians to gather around scripture, asking what the Bible asked in such a disruptive time. Instead, floods of patriotic fervor and military might (seldom featured in scripture) clouded people’s vision, and we are still involved in that war…
Reading scripture within a group means that my blindness can be challenged. What a wonderful book, the Bible, able to endlessly enrich and challenge us.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month’s contributor is Mary Ellen Ashcroft, Vicar of Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church.
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