Quote III
"It is a matter of which story is shaping our lives. Some story will shape our lives. When the Bible is broken up into little bits — theological, devotional, spiritual, moral bits — then these bits can be nicely absorbed into the reigning cultural story with all its idols! One can be theologically orthodox, devotionally pious, and morally upright and yet be significantly shaped by the idolatrous Western story." -Mark Goheen
What am important quote I must say. Yes, I finally found something that strikes a chord with what I wanted to say on fragmentation.
As a science student, I must say that analysis is part and parcel of the way we study and understand the way things work. I'm sure all science students can identify with this. Dissection and studying the smaller parts indeed is a practical and good way to study huge and convulated structures.
However, this method carries over to real life only partially I guess. In our life, when interacting with people, I guess we all interact in the context of one huge backdrop of history. And it is this history that becomes to us all a story that drives what we value and cherish, and what we don't take so seriously, and what we draw lines against.
People usually ask, " Why didn't God just give us a theological textbook and tell us how to live instead of giving us narratives and whatnots. And a whole lot to intepret...:s"
That's a valid question. And I think the quote above answers it partially. We may never know the full reason, it is what contitues a mystery of our faith. But at least we know that the Bible, communicated to us in story and poetry affects us more strongly that mere propositions can. And indeed it is a matter of which story that drives us, as per the quote above. Is it, my Malaysian national agenda or Singaporean secularism that drives me or is it the story of the Bible that drives me?
Finally, one more reason why daily quiet time is so important. It immerses us in the story of the Bible. The action is mysterious, we may never understand it, but the effects are real. The more time we spend alone being caught up in the themes and story of God and man, the more we begin to recognize the idols that litter our landscape.
What am important quote I must say. Yes, I finally found something that strikes a chord with what I wanted to say on fragmentation.
As a science student, I must say that analysis is part and parcel of the way we study and understand the way things work. I'm sure all science students can identify with this. Dissection and studying the smaller parts indeed is a practical and good way to study huge and convulated structures.
However, this method carries over to real life only partially I guess. In our life, when interacting with people, I guess we all interact in the context of one huge backdrop of history. And it is this history that becomes to us all a story that drives what we value and cherish, and what we don't take so seriously, and what we draw lines against.
People usually ask, " Why didn't God just give us a theological textbook and tell us how to live instead of giving us narratives and whatnots. And a whole lot to intepret...:s"
That's a valid question. And I think the quote above answers it partially. We may never know the full reason, it is what contitues a mystery of our faith. But at least we know that the Bible, communicated to us in story and poetry affects us more strongly that mere propositions can. And indeed it is a matter of which story that drives us, as per the quote above. Is it, my Malaysian national agenda or Singaporean secularism that drives me or is it the story of the Bible that drives me?
Finally, one more reason why daily quiet time is so important. It immerses us in the story of the Bible. The action is mysterious, we may never understand it, but the effects are real. The more time we spend alone being caught up in the themes and story of God and man, the more we begin to recognize the idols that litter our landscape.
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on Thursday, April 07, 2005 at 3:42 PM.
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