Le Bible

Two languages. Cool eh?

Do you know what kills the message of Christ in culture. Opinion. That's really it - opinion. My own success in living a Christian life is often helped or hampered by how much of an opinion I have on something. And here is the rub. The degree to which what I am saying AND living agrees with the Bible is the degree to which I am living a 'successful' Christian life.

How does that play out without becoming legalism?

1. Interpretation of the Bible should agree with historical interpretation of the Bible throughout time. (e.g. saying that this is a dumb point based on an abuse of the Bible during American slavery, which was later corrected back to better interpretation is not valid)
   
2. The principles applied should be applied as principles rather than as practices. What do I mean? One person may show love by giving away tonnes of money or possessions while another only gives away a little bit of money and stuff. Both are applying an Acts 2 (the Bible) view of the church and how a Christian should act so both are doing right. One may have given a car - does that mean giving a car is the right way to "do" church or Christianity, of course not.

This can be applied to many things can't it. Very often the principles are clear, and if we were honest, practices are grey. Jesus himself was accused of being a drunkard and a glutton (for socializing basically), and John the Baptist was called demon possessed (for hanging out in the desert where they thought demons lived and not socializing and eating and drinking). Seems to me that there is only one way to God (Jesus), but many ways to be a Christian:

1. Poor
2. Rich
3. Middle Class
4. Simple
5. Complex
6. Educated or not
7. Single, divorced, married, youth, children, le aged.
   
8. Right brain, left brain, a little of both (please a little of both:))
9. and so on....

Where does this leave us? I think humbly realizing that far more of the good in life than we give credit came to us from God through the Bible. Literary style for instance in Western culture. The concept of goodness and charity. A healthy (but fading) view of money, work ethic, family, creativity, music, art, friendships and so much more. Why don't we live the origin of our best stuff simply, PASSIONATELY, through the lenses of the greatest book every put together.