What the Bible means to me...

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 This is a link to the one and only article I have ever written. It’s short but to the point...yet it doesn’t even begin to describe what the Bible means to me. Hence the blog. 

                                                          https://atoday.org/the-bible-as-a-divine-abstract-art/


And here is the rough draft before it was edited and published :

Thoughts on the Bible - A Personal Epiphany

Can the Bible be thought of as abstract and abstruse, the same way as an abstract painting or sculpture? In my personal opinion, it seems that it is so, mostly because the Bible means so many different things to different people. Hence all the distinctive churches and denominations, from Catholics to Evangelicals, from Jehovah’s Witnesses to Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists to Southern Baptists, and so on and so forth. Interpretation, by various groups and individuals, has led to diverse beliefs and dogmas throughout history, all under the banner of the one Bible.

This makes me think of the inkblot test, which is used to access the innermost workings of the mind...it helps reveal who one truly is. Basically, shown something ambiguous, the brain works to give it meaning and shape. Therefore, how you perceive it is a reflection of yourself, it helps reveal who one is, it shows the inner heart. Anyone teaching hatred from the Bible is just acting on what is cultivated in their own hearts.

It is not too far fetched to posit that, since the Bible is rather ambiguous and abstruse, one is free to interpret it and explore it’s meaning beyond the actual written word. And as with abstract art, who can say if someone is actually right or wrong in their approach to interpreting it...so long as love is there at the core.

Unity will only come within the Christian Church when it accepts these differences as admissible and understands the reasons for these differences. There is no one truth; there can not be one truth. Except for the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40, everything else seems arbitrary.

[“Teacher what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. You must love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” Matt 22]

Diverse Christians truly are different branches from the same true vine, with Jesus being the vine and God as the vineyard keeper - John 1:1-8

Different Christian groups are all part of the same body, all forming one Church. 1 Corinthians 12:12-22 states this in very simple terms.

[Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. Certainly, the body isn’t one part but many. If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? But as it is, there are many parts but one body. So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Cor 12]

Saint Augustine once wrote, very wisely, I might say, “The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.” This is a profound statement that resonates...the Bible is alive and active and should communicate on a personal level. God is talking to each person individually, one on one. Therefore it will mean something distinctive to each person. Nothing is fixed; it is fluid; it is a continuing conversation between oneself and the Divine.

Does anything more need to be said? Maybe just a couple more things to wrap it all up. Firstly, there is an appropriate quote from a German philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche 1844-1900 - “There are no facts, only interpretations.” Secondly, there is another relevant quote, this time from the Bible, Mark 9:49-50.

[John replied, “Master, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he isn’t in our group of followers.” But Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him, because whoever isn’t against you is for you.” Mark 9]



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