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Here in our little insulated bubble from normal living, there is a chap employed to look after the beach furniture – you can just make him out in the centre of the  picture.   A wooden walkway, a bunch of sunbeds and mattresses, a few bins –  and the occasional helping carry a bulky canoe for watersports.  For a week he has been here each day with his broom.  It seems he is not important.  Nor is his job taxing in the normal sense.  Sweeping, dusting, rearranging … all day?  His job is taxing only in trying to stay motivated enough to do it!

So he finds little corners to hide.  He spends a lot of time on his smart-phone.  He comes alive when another member of staff goes by.  Becomes animated and involved when some contractor turns up to rearrange/add to the “beach furniture”. But those moments happen infrequently.  So he finds corners to hide …

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Just like so many cultural Christians – indeed so many “culturally received beliefs” in all of us.

The ongoing investigations in “why 9/11” has focused on the CIA and the reality of its workforce: white middle class protestants who are the academic elite. The creme-de-la-creme – the best of the best – who saw pictures of Bin Laden and saw only a backward dusty native living in a cave – a hillbilly hiding in a cave.

And missed entirely the constructed symbolism full of Muslim history and struggle and replicating much of The Prophet.  Symbolism that caused Muslim academics to “join the struggle” … to commit even unto death for “the cause”.

That when we surround ourselves with those who reinforce our own beliefs and culture we are not even aware of the blind-spots in our own thinking – our own “evidence analysis” – our own exclusion of those we believe we are including.  Like …

All Are Welcome!

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More and more – as I become “bible-blind” – the less I need to “reinforce my cultural beliefs” by attending church.  Love – if that is “God” and every fibre of my being says yes God is Love – is everywhere and in everyone.  And Love is not a “cultural belief” requiring reinforcement of any one religion, any one lifestyle, any “one” anything.

Love is and I am.

This chap with a broom.  He believes he has to push the dust around enough AND visibly enough to remain employed.  And he is right.  But that is not Love.  Just as the organisation that “saved him” from unemployment does not Love.  This arrangement requires no Love.  Just as with any “cultural belief system” we each accept as “how things are” … how to “get things done” … how to do just enough to remain “saved”.

Love is and I am.

Becoming “bible-blind” is not to reject or to dismiss (or to trash) the bible.  It is to live a life of Love where all are not just “welcome” – but a life where “all ARE all”.  Where I become blind to everything but Love.  Where each IS sacred because each IS Loved.

This is not a “hard teaching” … not a “cross to carry” … THAT “hard stuff” is being “bible qualified” … being “biblically correct” … and THAT is (I think) missing the whole point of ALL of this completely.

And perhaps intentionally.

Today’s lesson is the chap with a broom.

This is the word of The Lord.  Thanks be to God.

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