Where Does the Bible Fit?

"We know there are troubles of more than one kind.

Some come from ahead, and some come from behind. . .

The Bible is just one of many things in my “spiritual toolkit”.  When I think back to all of the sources I have used for research and quotations for classes, small groups and Sunday talks, the list includes  scripture, Dr. Seuss, Gene Rodenberry and Abraham Lincoln as well as all of the usual suspects within Unity ( Myrtle and Charles, Cady, Butterworth and Debenport, et al.)  For me, the Bible is important and relevant, but so are many other sources.  For me, spiritual understanding comes from many different sources and is inspired by the work and lives of many people who have graced the planet in the last 2,000 years as well as those who lived before Jesus.

For those who hold the bible in higher or singular regard, I want to borrow the logic of Unity’s Fifth Principal (it is not enough to know the truth, one must also live the truth) and argue that it is not enough for Christians to be saved or born again; accepting Christ is just the first step of a journey that continues for a lifetime.  Just to establish that I am not swaying precariously in the breeze, out on the edge of some New Thought limb or branch, in an earlier post, I referred to the UMC Theology of Discipleship which calls for Christians to be active participants in God’s activity in the world, living out of an understanding of who they are in relationship to God, to one another, and to the world.

I would like to suggest that in working to accomplish this, many Christians are guided and motivated by words and ideas that may be inspired by the Bible, but nonetheless have come from a whole host of human beings other than Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (or the scribes and authors who wrote in their names.).  The success of Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and Billy Graham as well as more than a dozen best-selling novels in the left behind series are just a few examples of the voices that speak to and lift up (or smack down) the minds and hearts of contemporary Christians – and just FYI – there are three satellite radio stations dedicated to Christian music on Sirius XM radio alone.  Their toolkit looks different than my toolkit, but the point is that there is more than one tool in it.

This brings me then to the fundamentalists, the folks whose toolkit is not really a kit at all.  What they have, first and foremost, is the bible as the inerrant word of God, and a short list of non-negotiable beliefs that must be adhered to absolutely if one wants to be considered a “true” Christian.  According to Harvey Cox in his book “The Future of Faith”, the inerrancy of the Bible is foundational, and there are four cornerstones upon which the house of Christian American fundamentalism is built:  the Virgin birth of Christ, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection, and the imminent second coming.  Nothing here about discipleship, or living the truth – this is strictly a litmus test to determine if you are with us or against us.

I suppose you could think of it as a tape measure, which many consider to be a “must have” for any basic toolkit.  As you build things or make repairs and improvements, you need to make measurements to determine how things will fit together, or if they will fit at all.  However, if the only thing you have in your toolkit is a tape measure and the only thing you can do is make assessments about what fits and what doesn’t, you lack the essential tools that are needed to actually build something that works.

In working with a congregation to help them build lives that work, the more tools you have in your toolkit, the higher the probability of helping them to make some repairs or improvements that will add value and increase their equity.  However, please note that there will always be those who may flinch a bit or stiffen at the sight of the tape measure because of their previous experience with a contractor who took their money, took some measurements and never delivered anything of value except a judgment about the poor quality of the house they were living in.

I can’t erase that experience from their memory, but I can show them some plans and designs that might help them get from where they are to where they want to be, and I can share with them the tools that I have found to be helpful along the way. 

The Bible is just one of the tools in my toolkit, but there are many, many more – and I am shopping all the time!  You never know what you’re going to need to build the house of your dreams.