Thursday, February 16, 2006

Think Again, Kevin...

OK...so I'm reading through the.... well, I don't like to say reading through the Bible again, because I usually get to about Deuteronomy 20 and give up. So I'm reading through...Genesis, then I'll read through Exodus...then, you get the point. Managable and Attainable goals!

So, I'm reading through Genesis and all these things I've never thought about keep popping up...i'm not sure, but I think that has something to do with the living and active thing. Anyway, The other day I was looking at Chapter 11 of Genesis, the Tower of Babel, and I was puzzled by a challenge of my perception of the story.

I thought I remembered from my big red children's Bible that my little girl Grace now uses that the reason God stopped the "project" by dividing the people by languages was because they were trying to build a tower to heaven. I didn't find that in this passage.

Now, I remembered I was reading in the New King James version so I let my fingers do the walking through several other translations and I found that the original King James did say they were trying to reach (H)eaven with a capital H. However, every other translation I read said they wanted the top to reach into the heavens or into the skies. OK...so this was a paradigm shift for me. My unwavering confidence in the big red Bible of my childhood was in a state of crisis. I learned more from my big red Bible than from anything when it came to spiritual matters since I was raised in a non-churched home until I was a teenager. Now what was I to do to find that my big red Bible had led me astray??? :(

So often we find ourselves in a crisis of belief when a question arises from a trusted source that challenges what we've always held dear to our hearts. How many times in your thought process have you really asked the tough question..."Why do I believe what I believe?" It's hard work to figure it out and so few really take to the task of solidifying their stance on unclear matters of faith. Why go to the trouble? Why take the time and put forth the energy?

I spend a lot of time with college students and I know of not one who is committed to building a future in a particular field of vocation or with a particular person through marriage that does not think it worth whatever effort it takes to learn as much and be as clear as possible in matters that make a difference to them. Is God, faith, belief, etc... as important as those other things that shape us and define who we are to those around us. That's for you to decide!

just a thought...

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