Antithesis

This. This right here. Look at it closely. Measure Every. Single. Word.

Nothing could be further from the historical truth, pre-Enlightenment. The truth is that the scriptures, precious they be, proceeded from the traditions that had grown for many decades before there was a thought of creating a “Bible”—let alone a genuine calf-skin floppy KJV Bible with them words of Jesus in red!

Because I treasure the words of scripture—good, bad, and ugly—as a reflection of what our spiritual ancestors experienced and interpreted for their day, I will not balk at the idea of inspiration. I find the scriptures to be inspired, indeed. But I can’t go to the place where historical fact is disregarded by even the best-meaning fundamentalist. The Tradition (with a capital “T”) stood the test of time long before any of our “66 books” were laid on the table. We are blessed by the Tradition, and I will never be sorry for saying so.

I have in my possession a number of Bibles in various languages, including the originals—which I can’t adequately translate, but have to trust the scholars for. But in no way will I deny the truth of the κήρυγμα—the Gospel of Christ, preached by the words and lives of saints and martyrs, which is truly embedded and embodied in the Church.

Thankful we do not trust in a collection of (even sacred and precious) words on papers, but the human reality of the living Word of God as our hope and our salvation (and that without crab legs, just as much as LGBTQ+ dinner companions).

Otherwise, we are bound to living very sadly literalist lives in a tiny plot of contentiously protected property in the middle of nowhere, dodging unconscionable hostilities in the name of “holy war”—which is here today and shifts tomorrow to enrage another interloper—and looking daily for the Bread of Life, which the unbounded Church has offered unfailingly day by day for over 20 centuries around the world to “whosoever will” by the grace and forbearance of God!

(((Ugh. I can’t go on. For what I say would enrage too many of one persuasion or another, or would bore the hell out of any thinking person who can imagine what it’s like to have a few thousand people (in the name of God) take away their land and freedoms for perhaps less-than-kosher purity reasons…oh God. Don’t get me started. No. I will shut up and pray for everyone in this endless imbroglio, Jew and gentile alike. And I will not ask God to favor my dear ones from Arabic-speaking churches…blessed be God))).

I’ll just part with this.: The Bible is a treasure. It may be the greatest treasure I can hold in my hand, aside from the Body and Blood of Christ. But I’ll be damned if I would ever worship it. I worship God alone. And I’ll take on anyone who disagrees…right after I beg them to let me wash their feet and bring them some matzo ball soup. THATis the Tradition that I can trust.

You need to keep up your strength to argue things that God alone can resolve.