As a progressive Christian, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to a loving God; this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!
The scriptures in the Bible are sometimes referred to as the “canon.” The word canon comes from a Greek word that means “reed or cane.” This refers to a standard of measure. It came to be applied to the scriptures to denote their authoritative aspect.
Most of us have our personal canon within the canon, that is, our core collection of scripture within the larger body of scripture. And entire denominations have been organized around differing core collections of scripture.
Even the person sitting in the end zone of the football game with their placard displaying a scriptural reference is revealing their canon within the canon, not to mention their personal agenda.
It’s important to remain aware of the temptation and danger of proof-texting or cherry-picking scripture as it is sometimes called, that is, taking a passage out of context to reinforce a personal agenda, like a fear based prejudice. Throughout history, people have misused scripture to justify wars and slavery and all sorts of inequality. Martin Luther even warned his students against this approach when it is reported that he said, “Using scripture I can prove that bad beer is better than good wine.”
Over the years my canon within the canon has changed and evolved and expanded as my knowledge and understanding of scripture has grown. How has your understanding of scripture and your interpretation of it expanded as you’re on your spiritual journey?
I love discovering new scriptures and new understandings. In 2 Corinthians 8, we read where the apostle Paul spent nearly 10 years soliciting funds for what was commonly known as the “Jerusalem Fund.” This was a collection he took up among Gentile congregations in Macedonia and Achaia (modern day Greece) to help Jerusalem congregations who were facing very difficult times as a result of drought, heavy taxes and a sluggish economy. This passage is part of Paul’s final appeal to the mainly Gentile congregation in Corinth to help out their sisters and brothers in Jerusalem, who were mainly Jewish followers of Jesus.
A part of what happened was that Paul’s initial appeal to the Corinth congregation had hit some resistance after they had initially promised to respond. They had not followed through on a previous pledge, so Paul made a second appeal.
Paul wrote these rather direct words, “… it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something, but even desired to do something – to now finish doing it.”
Paul appealed to the church in Greece because they were in a relatively prosperous time and living comfortably. In his first letter to the Corinthian congregation Paul had encouraged them to exercise self-discipline and regularly “set aside” something for the Jerusalem congregation on a “weekly basis.” What is so remarkable about this and even beyond that, what is captivating and challenging is that in Paul’s time, the rift between Gentile and Jew was one of the deepest and most profound of all human divides.
What Paul asked the congregation in Corinth to do was so counter-cultural. It went against common sense and cultural and social norms. But could the life-changing point be this: for Paul, even in the face of great cultural resistance, the “Jerusalem Collection” was a tangible expression of what he perceived to be the very heart (core) of the Christ experience?
Could it be for Paul, that his experience of Jesus was a challenge to the mindset of mutual exclusivity? Because of Christ, Paul saw things differently; he saw a sense of connection, not just with his immediate circles of family and friends, but between the needs of others and the abundance of others. For Paul, Jesus revealed lines of connection that the Corinth congregation did not see or recognize. Jesus made visible links of interrelatedness that perhaps they were hesitant to acknowledge or accept.
Paul experienced the living Jesus as one who challenged him to live with these lines of connection to be visibly seen, out in the open.
We might call this living with a consciousness of Christ connections; seeing these Christ connections as a calling rather than living with a sense of mutual exclusivity. In other words, we need each other and we are all connected.
It’s amazing what a natural disaster or a horrific traffic accident or a senseless shooting will do to bring total strangers together in support of one another. There is power when we all combine our resources, like the outpouring of humanitarian aid to Nepal, like so many people going out to support AIDS services and education through The Center’s Dining Out for Life. And how we are constantly bringing in clothing and food items to support Uptown Faith Community Service Center and our Feed My Sheep food pantry… all of this is living with a consciousness of Christ connections.
As Jesus people, and that is who we are as followers of Christ, we are called to affirm, recognize and live with a consciousness of Christ connections; connections that link the needs of some with the abundance of others; connections that are healing, empowering and freeing!
