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Christians make much of the “fact” that the devil knows the bible and used it to “tempt” Jesus.  Many atheists accuse Christians of not knowing the bible as well as they do.  Many Christians argue – not over the bible – with each other about whether the bible is being read “correctly”.

My bible teaching started young with The Nice Bits.  Even “The Most Important Bit” is  airbrushed beyond recognition.  Being “washed in blood” has only ever been (and remains) a gratuitous-gore-fest-of-senseless-killing … unless it is The Story of The Cross.

And ever since – my “biblically correct” teaching has avoided much that I have come to question.  And I have come to realise that many Christians question much that is taught (and written) in and of the bible but … privately.

It seems to me that there are many unspoken “elephants in the room” in (correct) biblical teaching.   That this argued-over mantra  – “being scripturally correct”  – can never be the true for any of us.  And – more than that – is a complete distraction.  For it keeps us looking inwards rather than out – keeps us “needing to belong” to a small group of like-minded believers rather than all mankind.

The devil does it … atheists do it … Christians do it … we ALL do it … We ALL screw with the bible.  And yet the bible remains The Way.

Regular study – contemplation – reflection – meditation … with devotionals – a reading plan – study notes – journals … And all the paraphernalia of “work” … And then all that embarrassment of not knowing the right verse – the right quote – the right “bit” … AND  the smugness of knowing the right verse – the right quote – the right bit …

“The Greatest of These Is … “

NOT being a bible scholar – a celeb great bible preacher – a celeb qualified in God bible speaker.  Is NOT finding five Greek words to define what Jesus meant (and didn’t) – is NOT scouring the “old stuff” to seek out “commandments” that validate our own “isms” …

Racism … gender-ism … body-shape-ism … wealth/poor-ism … right/wrong-ism … correct/incorrect-ism … mature/immature-ism … churched/unchurched-ism …  all the isms of “correct theology” of faith and belief that promotes faith and belief (in these correct isms).

“The Greatest of These Is … “

Doesn’t even need the bible at all.  Love is not a commandment – a skill – a technique – a series of tick-boxes … Love is not to be studied as an artefact –  a laboratory specimen … Love doesn’t NEED Greek scholarship to define “love” and what “type of love” is being referred to. Love is NOT about the “dirty side” of doing “dirty things”.

That is us – again – rewriting “Love” to suit our own preferred biblically correct “isms”.  That “dirty stuff” is something else.  Something we all do – all think about – all try and stop thinking about so often – take pills and potions to do it better – impose  “interventions” on (others) who are doing it wrong (or too much).  THAT is about sex and copulating and creation a man-made distraction (of all distractions) to keep us all from …

“The Greatest of These Is … “

And who promotes this debate and distraction?

Those qualified in God … who preach the bible “correctly” … who are the church’s hierarchy of leaders AND enforcers … Or – to put it another way – are both judge and jury – and often “executioner”.

“The Greatest of These Is … “

Is a living breathing being of this moment and the next.  Is a “meets me where I am”.  Is so much more than a commandment.  Is beyond personal isms and correctness.  Is not only in and of the bible … but in every breath of living in this beautiful precious world we take for granted … this home we treat as if we are ALL ungrateful teenagers –  ALL  kicking the shit out of everything we love because we can.

Except we are not  teenagers.

Climate change?

I care not for “how much” we are (or are not) influencing climate change.  I look at the amount of our shit in every part of our planet and weep.

Biblical correctness?

I look at this immense property portfolio across the whole planet – at the need for maintaining and protecting this portfolio – for the granting of secular charitable status so that this portfolio costs less (at everyone else’s expense) – for the focus on “the building” and “church life” – for the replacing of democratically elected “social law” with all the baggage and isms of (correct) “religious/faith law” …

It’s the temple industry (all over again).

“The Greatest of These Is … “

Love.  It IS that simple.  It IS that inclusive.

Love.  Is NOT complicated.  NOR exclusive.

Love.  Does not NEED.  The bible.

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