This week I have been struck with how many people think that religion is a black and white concept. I have been accused of creating trouble by asking more questions when reading the Bible. Shouldn't the Bible be read for what it says? Shouldn't religion be giving us a concrete way to live our life?
The answer is NO! And yet, sadly the churches that are growing the most of churches which do preach about Black and White nature of the Bible and our religion. WHY? Because we feel safer and more comfortable in the Black and White. We have been taught from a very young age that there is only one answer to a question, or one answer that is more right then the rest. I tell my daughter all the time "no! don't do that!" in order to keep her safe but some times I worry that I am teaching her there is only one path that is OK - mine. In school we are given multiple choice test in which often there is a trick but only one right answer. In art class even we are taught to color IN the lines and make things look uniform and pretty. And so, in our attempt to keep control and know that we must be doing OK we keep ourselves living in Black and White.
One of my favorite movies of all time is Pleasantville and my favorite scene? When everyone begins to be in color of course! We live in a world where there is of course more then one answer to a problem and often more then one choice in front of us. Yes, we are defined by the choices we make, but that is what makes life colorful.
The Bible is not a concrete set of ideas that is to be read once and perfectly understood. The Bible is not to be read out of context - either out of the passage or time and place. (You may want to read an early blog about the Living Word). And religion is not meant to have all the answers for you either - or to have a prescribed set of rules in which to live your life. Nope. Religion is suppose to help you find out the truths for yourself, find the truths that answer your questions. Religion should bring up more questions then it can answer in an attempt to always be revolving.
God is an infinite vast being who is beyond full knowledge of humans for humanity is only made in the image of God - we weren't given the knowledge of God. and we can't even know for sure what was truly meant by "image." So lets challenge ourselves - as Christians or as seekers to stop and rethink the need for concrete answers and begin to live more colorful. You just might find yourself living a fuller and more God-like life then you expected :)
