Today’s scripture: Romans 3:19-26 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Melody Merida):
One of the greatest tragedies to befall the human race, in my humble opinion, is the religious assertion that all people are born sinners. I’ve seen the consequences of that belief countless times as I’ve counseled individuals who can never feel “good enough” because their “sin nature” was hammered into their heads throughout their lifetime. You see, telling someone that they are inherently bad will never serve them well. That understanding can prevent us from living into the fullness of our humanity in the way Jesus did. It keeps us tied to a notion that seems antiquated and outdated. We were born into goodness because we are good. When the universe began God said “it is good” and that means all of us who are a part of that universe. When God said “it is good”, God was talking about you too.
As one of my favorite theologians, Bishop John Shelby Spong, puts it, “The Church doesn’t like for people to grow up because you can’t control grown-ups. That’s why we talk about being born again; when you’re born again, you’re still a child. But people don’t need to be born again; they need to grow up, to accept the responsibility for themselves and the world. “
He goes on to say, “You and I are emerging people, not fallen people. Our problem is not that we are born in sin, our problem is that we do not yet know how to achieve being fully human. The function of the Christ is not to rescue the sinners, but to empower you and to call you to be more deeply and more fully human than you’ve ever realized there was the potential within you to be. Maybe salvation needs to be conveyed in terms of enhancing your humanity rather than rescuing you from it.”
I wonder what our world would look like if those of us who call ourselves Christians chose to grow up and live into the fullness of our humanity, in the way Jesus taught us to do. What if we chose to find redemption through the life of Christ rather than focusing most of our energies on the violent act of the cross? What if we saw the sacrifice of Christ as one who was killed because he lived to the fullness of what God had in store for him rather than as a blood sacrifice for our inherent wickedness?
I have tremendous respect for the author of Romans but he and I disagree over what constitutes righteousness and atonement. For this reason, I struggled with today’s reading. My own opinion of the Bible is not that it is inerrant, without flaw or blemish. Rather, I see the bible as a tapestry of voices, the story of God and how people experienced God. There is great truth in the Bible but I also find great truth in other sacred texts. I would never suggest that I am “grown up”, but a part of my growing experience has been to finally find a voice to say Paul’s writings do not speak to me. He and I have differing opinions about God. And, for me, that is okay. Paul is still my brother and I am still his sister.
But what about you? The beauty of the Bible is that each one of us can read that text and determine how it speaks to us. We can agree or disagree with the authors of the text without worrying that God will love us any less. We can discern for ourselves what to make of it and we can use it to help us grow up.
Thought for the day: What is Paul’s writing saying (or not saying) to you?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.