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Reflections List
Page Two
Reflections List
Page Two
Around the experience of glossolalia, that is, speaking in tongues, a group of American society was forming a new religious culture. The entrepreneurial spirit of the pioneer was reclaiming the right of the people to determine their own social ethics within the confines of religious belief. Pastors had, traditionally, been the most educated person in town. Now, the passion of a people who had discovered that God was accessible and ready to fill their souls with divine purpose was producing pastors whose educational background was irrelevant. Theirs was a religion of experience, of signs and wonders, of a relevant God of the people, the poor, a God whose power could transform a life in an evening.
Understanding the new birth metaphor is essential for beginning the process of spiritual growth. Conversion is not simply a joyous moment, it is a gradual immersion into the reality of God in contrast to the world as it is in the present. In this sense conversion is a traumatic experience that is an ongoing part of the Christian’s spiritual life.
When Eve is experiencing an inner dialogue at the curious presence of a serpent in the forbidden tree, she demonstrates the fullness of being human. Eve thinks ethically, the fruit is food, why the prohibition? Eve thinks aesthetically, the fruit of the tree is pleasing to the eyes. Eve thinks religiously for the fruit she will reach for offers being like God, free to make your own judgments about reality; that is to create reality.
Slogans are political devices that are designed to indoctrinate the mind with their unsubstantiated claim; they are short sayings that serve as rhetorical statements whose purpose is to stifle critical thought. I want to address the slogan, ‘guns don’t kill, people do’. The first problem with this slogan is that it does not recognize the power of objects. Objects stir emotions, ignite the imagination, and identify their use and purpose simply be being an object. Objects can be offensive, shocking and profane, or they can be pleasing, aesthetically beautiful, and serve the common good.
There are ethical situations in life that are met with God’s grace, grace that can offend the expectations of our eras cultural senses. The story of Tamar affirms the right of women to control their own bodies.