The Bible: A Love Story, Not a Weapon of Mass Destruction

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NRSV)

As for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

My blog readers know that I have written about the dangers of Biblical literalism on many occasions.  Given that today is the commemoration of St. Jerome who translated the Hebrew and Greek texts into Latin sometime between the years 347 and 420, I want to concentrate for a little bit about the Bible as a love story. Later on between 1374 and 1384 it was John Wyclif who translated the Latin into common English

The Bible has been used as a Weapon of Mass Destruction over the years.  I have written that many times before as well.  The Bible really is a love story.  It is the story of God's love for all of humankind.  The Bible contains many stories about how God interacted with people in a time and culture very different from our own.  Yet many of the things we encounter today, the people of the Biblical era definitely knew.   The Bible is not a perfect book.  The Bible is not a story about perfect people, accept one.  The Bible is not an excuse for prejudice or violence.  The Holy Scriptures contain every reason to love one another as God has loved us in Christ. 

Luke 24:44-48 (NRSV)

Jesus said to his disciples, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

In this Gospel of Luke, Jesus is instructing the disciples after he has been raised from the dead.  Rather than use his power as God to punish the disciples for abandoning him at his most desperate hour of death, Jesus is merciful, forgiving and he challenges them as God's witnesses. 

We too are witnesses of Jesus' death and resurrection.  We are among God's beloved children with whom God is well-pleased.  Everyone including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, and queer (LGBTQ) are among God's redeemed people in Christ.  The Bible and many of the passages of Scripture that have been used to justify violence and cruelty towards LGBTQ people or any person or group of people is not condoned by the message contained within God's written word.   The Living Word of God, Jesus Christ spent his life and ministry caring for the marginalized, and now prays in heaven for all of us to learn to love each other more and more without excuse or reason to do otherwise. 

My prayer for us and everyone is that we will find every reason to love, accept and cherish each other because of the Bible.  My prayer is that all the reasons we find to love people because of the Bible, will overshadow and convert a Church and society in which the Bible has been used as an excuse to hurt and hate.

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 21, Book of Common Prayer, page 234).

O Lord, O God of truth, your Word is a lantern to our feet and a light upon our path: We give you thanks for your servant Jerome, and those who, following in his steps, have labored to render the Holy Scriptures in the language of the people; and we pray that your Holy Spirit will overshadow us as we read the written Word, and that Christ, the living Word, will transform us according to your righteous will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Jerome, Holy Men, Holy Women, Celebrating the Saints, page 615).