Forest Driven

 "In a healthy relationship with Jesus, liberties live at peace with convictions; there is no constant war. We are still doing what we want. Our wants are just different."

As I read through my facebook feed daily, I feel like I wake up the mother to siblings arguing. Loud shouting. Unkind words.

Much like with my own children my first thought is "But I haven't had my first cup of tea."

I have been thinking this week how we've forgotten we are siblings.

We've forgotten how siblings OUGHT to treat each other.

As the Xman was packing for camp, he mentioned to me that this bible of his - how it will always be special. This bible rode on 4 airplanes. Crossed an ocean. To pray over people in a different language.

This bible was the common ground when he was somewhere new.

He shared that even though he didn't understand the language (despite two years of Spanish but that's another conversation about study habits) , he knew how to read along in his own language. He knew how to use his bible.

In the last few weeks, I've been reminded that the bible was intended to be common ground.

However, in my community the bible has become the most devise book that exists.

I started a new book this morning called "Now What?" where the authors ponder what do we do know that we are so divided? How do we move forward?

I'm curious to see what they have to offer as I'm only in the prologue. However, I think we begin by remembering we are siblings.

We begin by looking for COMMON ground.

I've never had my children memorize scripture at any length. I think there should be caution in pulling one verse out of a book that encompasses over 31,000 verses. Caution in pulling one verse out of a book that was written in a different historical and cultural time. Caution in pulling one verse out of context.

When we begin to view the bible as purely instruction or information, I think we miss the forest for the trees.

I don't see many bumper stickers with verses such as:

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:12)

This verse leads me to believe that Jesus did not value women. Which based on a large view reading of the bible is completely untrue.

If I focus on the tree (the individual verse), then I miss the forest (the way Jesus spoke to, interacted with, and treated women).

Mama Warriors, as we continue to be a community filled with divisiveness, I think we could all benefit from finding common ground. For it's from a place of respect and active listening, that we are able to educate each other and create an environment conducive to good discussion.

Let's be people who walk the way Jesus modeled, and not ones who scream verses at each other as weapons.

I encourage you to be forest led, not tree driven.