THE PENDULUM
A Pastor was once critiqued that their sermons required too much thought after worship and that was not why people came to worship on Sunday. The critique continued by suggesting the messages need to be less about thinking and more about feeling. After all, the preachers on TV and the books that sell are more about helping a person feel better.
I love ice cream and chocolate, it’s easy to eat and usually brings back fond memories. Ice cream is amazing. It’s cool, creamy and typically has an incredible pairing of flavors. I need a balance of protein, fiber, and heart-healthy foods. I need to fuel my body with food that is processed with a high degree of efficiency. I like what I like, but I also need what I need. Candy, desserts, and treats are great to eat, but I can’t live on it, at least well, or for long.
EXPECTATIONS
When someone reads out of the Bible, folks who happen to be listening typically hear what they expect to hear instead of what is really being read. The same is true in movies, literature, and life. What we expect to hear from Scripture is something edifying, uplifting, and moral—something elevating, obvious, and boring. Is it any surprise that this exactly what we do hear? That’s too bad because if you really listen, if you really encounter it all, there is no telling what you might hear.
BALANCE OR HARMONY
The Scale has long been a symbol of justice. It is an image of balance, fairness and order. It is so easy to see; equal weight on each side of the scale reveals balance before your very eyes. It tells a truth. Yes, “a truth”.
If you have ever been to an orchestra concert, you’ve heard and delighted in imbalance, or Harmony. A harmony that results in order and fairness. It is so easy to hear. And what is heard is Beauty, or is it?.
Herein lies one of the challenges we all face. We all find ourselves living with dichotomies. We live in a time where divisions have been drawn, contrasts must be acknowledged, and we must pick one or the other. Where does that leave Harmony?
READ IT AGAIN
Now might be the perfect time to encounter Scripture again, because there is no telling what you might hear, but it will be The Truth.
Jesus stood up straight and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]]’ John 8:1-11