Peeling the Scales Away

Someone once said that 'one's perception is their reality.'  Think about it, ponder it, and question it.  Is that statement true?  Is my perception the true reality or just the reality of what I see?

Much of life's arguments and troubles come from the debate about whose perception of reality is better, or true.  It is the root of many of the wars between countries, faiths and even within our own faith as we increasingly distance ourselves from Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 that "they may be one."

We see selective readings and preaching of scriptures to validate our views.  In biblical interpretation, the quest for the reading and interpreter is to choose between two ways to viewing the text-
1. The first marked by having a view already created and then heading into the scriptures to validate that view.  This is called Eisegesis.  In essence, we use the bible to validate our predetermined ideas and ideals.  The danger is that we become blind to what the scriptures actually say and help shape them into what we want them to say- normally to validate a viewpoint.
2. The other way to view the text is to allow the bible to speak into our lives and shape our ideas and ideals.  This is called Exegesis.  The goal is to allow the sacred scriptures to inform how we live, what we believe and how we care for others.

I'm sure you have seen both of these practices enacted.  Yesterday, we looked at Mary Magdalene and her impact in the story of Jesus.  She has been coined "The Apostle to the Apostles' for she is the first witness to the resurrection and given the command of the apostles to 'go and tell.'  For most of us, we have not seen her in this light.  In fact, we have not seen the vital role of women in the scriptures for some have grown up in traditions of Christianity that have painted women as subservient to men.  By selecting some passages over others, this view has been validated.  Yet when we study them role of women in the New Testament, the scales that have blinded us quickly fall as we realize their involvement in Jesus' ministry and the foundational role in Paul's missionary journeys.

Sometimes we need God to peel the scales away that blind us to what has always been in scripture.  We need clear eyes that allow scripture to shape our our ideas and ideals.  Too often we selectively read the scriptures to the detriment of our own spiritual formation. 

Perhaps today we can pray that God peels the scales that blind us to His call to follow.  It is a dangerous prayer for it may invite us to extend grace to some that we have withheld grace; forgiveness to those who have hurt us; and an extravagant welcome to the least, the last, and the lost rather than fortifying our safe shelter.

What's Your Language of Love?

One day as I listened to NPR, I heard a story that I couldn't believe.  The story was talking about people who fall in love from different countries with vastly different cultures.  I was intrigued, but what really caught my ear was a statement one man said- "When we married, neither of us were very good at speaking each other's language." 

He went on to describe that now after 40 years of marriage, they have learned to speak each other's language.  Their love, beginning some 40 years before, was marked by attraction.  Yet it had taken them a lifetime of marriage to speak in a language that both could understand.

I spent many hours thinking about what that man said and reflected on the countless weddings I have attended or officiated.  When a couple gets married, most often they have fallen in love in a romantic, life-changing way.  They adore each other and can't imagine life without the other...and this is very important! 

Yet, most often couples are just learning how to speak the language of love.  They are still finding out who they are while learning about their spouse.  They are not yet fluent in the language of love.  These love languages- Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Gifts and Physical Touch- are keys to unlocking how we understand, or hear, that another loves us.  Yet equally powerful to knowing your language is knowing the language of another.

In the weeks ahead, we'll discover the beauty of unlocking the love languages.  As I shared yesterday, it changed the relationship of a father and son!  The son only wanted his dad to spend quality time with him whereas the dad believed that by giving his son gifts, his son would know how much his dad loved him.  It wasn't until a trip away that the son got the clear message "I Love You!" 

Perhaps that is why these love languages are really God's Love Language.  Each of us is unique and experience love differently.  Yet God has provided conduits to communicate his love to us.  May you hear afresh that you are loved by God and through understanding your love language, be able to receive that love!