power in perspective
The struggle with being a Christian in today's world is the battle with understanding how the text of the Bible is applicable to our world. It isn't a piece of fact those stories we read. The necessity to step away from the literal understanding and into a critical lens is required in order for true interpretation to be achieved. Because that is how we operate as Christians: constant assessment, analysis, reviewing, studying, inclusion of context, time period comparisons, understanding what was not included and why, the authors, and on and on.
We are given the burden of a faith that is subject to much criticism and much conflict within itself. The upside is that our faith requires a one on one relationship with God. And in that, we are led and shown the truth of who He is and who He wants us to be. It is up to us to withhold personal preferences, traditional beliefs, and systematic understanding in order to achieve God's plan for us.
The sermon today over the test of Abraham to sacrifice his only son portrayed a new view on the story. The test God placed on Abraham is often used to show the need for complete obedience to God so much so that his follower, the man who negotiated saving the family of Sodom, was willing to sacrifice his one and only son at the request of God. But the angel at the last second frantically stops the act, and this is where many interpret the story as one encouraging how God will always provide an answer if we follow without understanding.
Not the message today.
The idea that God would want a man to sacrifice his own son is one we hear a version of in media still, and it is one of the most disturbing scenarios only made worse when the murderer claims that God told them to commit the act. How could my God deliver such a request? It does not align with the actions of His mercy, His sacrifice, His love that is the overwhelming thread throughout the Bible.
Back up and consider why the initial interpretation of blind obedience would be an interpretation. What could be gained by blind obedience? Someone could strike fear into a follower. The concept that you are not to question the words of the Bible, but really the interpretation they have of the words in the Bible.
Questioning is how we learn. It leads to a deeper understanding and an individualistic assessment of a previous notion. It challenges archaic mentalities. It develops the next movement within the church. It expands the inclusion of the faith. It demands a closer relationship with God and the community in which one exists.
So instead of this fear-empowering interpretation, let us evaluate the extensive list of items previously stated to try to gain a new perspective. It is quite possible that God wanted Abraham to argue as he did in the story of Sodom. The evidence to support this ranges from the previous experience of Abraham negotiations and the fact that after this situation, God never spoke to him again.
So what's the lesson in this different interpretation?
Free will.
God designed us so that we choose the acts we commit. He gave us a teacher, His son, to demonstrate the manner in which we should live in our faith. But he never wants us to blindly follow and literally interpret the documentation of primitive Christianity.
As I lengthened my breath to settle into the Gentle & Restorative class this evening, we were told to listen closely to the sound of our breath. This commandment is something said frequently as a main pillar in yoga is the control of your breath to match the movements in your body and assist with poses, twists, etc. But today, the instructor referred to our breath as the soundtrack to our life, the sound that is with us from the moment we entered this world and stays with us every day all day and all night.
I never thought of this. Ever. The gift of my breath as a comrade on the journey of life. Always with me.
We move in and out of poses in a different way during this class. The poses are meant to be sank into. The only way to achieve this during the 30 seconds to a minute that you are in a pose propped up or folded over is to breathe deeply repetitively. You must almost combat the noise inside your head, the chatter, the checklist, the challenges that are ahead in your day or week. There is nothing else with you other than your breath during these poses. So you must give your friend your full attention to find the peace that is available during this class.
The expectation requires for you to always be self-assessing, questioning your position, the length of the inhale to the length of the exhale, the corresponding act of lengthening the spine as you inhale and relaxing the muscles as you exhale, sending the relaxation to your tight spots, paying attention to the feeling of intensity verses pain, gently moving from one pose to another, and seeking understanding to how the pose impacts your being.
For an unknown reason to me, when people find out that I am doing this 100 day project of yoga every day they respond with "I just don't know if I could sit still or quiet my thoughts." It's as if there is an excuse before there is an effort. The excuse prevents the experience because there has already been a decision made in regard to the act.
The same goes for Christianity. The excuses for not being involved in a faith community are vast and wide. And the worst part about them is that they are only limiting the individual's own ability to experience life in a new way.
It is evident to me that perspectives are just that, one point of view. And it is up to you to seek new vantage points in your life. Don't limit yourself. Life begs for exploration.