Fresh Interpretation

frbillmok

George Herbert’s poem, Love (III)

I love George Herbert’s poem about love, Love (III):

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
            Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
            From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
            If I lacked anything.

“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here”:
            Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
            I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
            “Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame
            Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
            “My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
            So I did sit and eat.

The poem “Love (III)” shows God as a welcoming host, inviting a soul to the dinner table without shame. It conveys that you don’t need a perfect soul for God to love and forgive you, reflecting a key principle of Christianity. That is the Good News we need to live in and out as a Christian.

frbillmok

A different view on the text about Sodom and Gomorrah

In “For The Bible Tells Me So – the bibleical-theological necessity of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church”, Katie Hays connects the following three texts:

  1. Then the LORD said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:20-21)
  2. This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)
  3. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10:14-15)

Hays believes that:

“The men of Sodom (and Gomorrah) were not homosexual; they were selfish, frightened people who would use any means, including the sexual violence of rape, to protect their wealth from strangers. God’s disgust with this way of being is in line with the hundreds of texts in the Bible condemning the way people hoard material wealth while ignoring the needs of the poor. Violent protectionism is definitely not God’s will for God’s people; gracious hospitality and generous sharing is God’s will for God’s people. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 clearly demonstrates this, and we agree wholeheartedly.”

Hays’ interpretation deserves to be included as one of our main references when delving into the study and reflection of LGBTQ+ related topics. Before we make our own conclusion, we need to examine if we have any presuppositions about LGBTQ+. We have to ask if our interpretation reflects and witnesses who God is and His love for us. 

frbillmok

How do we read the ancient text about God by the ancient writers?

In his book, “The Bible Tells Me So…Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable To Read It”, Peter Enns wrote:

“Speaking for Christians, capturing land and holding on to it by violence is not a gospel way of living.  Christians today, therefore, have an obligation not to ‘follow the Bible’ here, not allow the ancient tribal description of God in the Old Testament to be the last word.  These ancient writers had an adequate understanding of God for them in their time, but not for all time – and if we take that to heart, we will actually be in a better position to respect these ancient voices and see what they have to say rather than whitewashing the details and making up ‘explanation’ to ease our stress.  And for Christians, the gospel has always been the lens through which Israel’s stories are read – which means, for Christians, Jesus, not the Bible, has the final word.  The story of God’s people has moved on, and so must we”.

Yes, I do feel the stress as I have had many conversations with people about the violence, the genocide, and many other topics we feel unacceptable.  In this book, Peter has offered many insights to help us to approach the Bible in a different perspective.