During my first call, I enjoyed leading a Thursday morning Bible study. Since each person heard the story in a unique way, sharing our reflections brought the story to life in a new way for all of us. We came to the word with a willingness to hear one another’s perspectives and an openness to what God might be saying. When we do not come with a willingness to hear and learn from each other, things can become pretty tense.
When we read the Bible together, we can learn from one another’s experiences, perspectives and interpretations. However, when we believe our interpretation represents the whole truth, rather than a corner of it, we may be missing the point altogether. When this happens, we may stop seeing each other as sisters and brothers in Christ and start placing labels: good, bad, right, wrong. Whenever we do this, I think we lose out on the power of grace and the power of God’s living word.
This message is excerpted from “Many Meanings” by Kari Van Wakeren in the April 2018 Gather magazine.
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