MIXED SIGNALS

In the beginning, the elohim created skies and earth.

Welcome back. Let’s think about ambiguity as a part of the Christian life.

On the way to the YMCA every morning I pass an elementary school. A yellow light flashes and the sign says, “25 MPH WHEN FLASHING.” 

A few feet farther on, another sign says:

25 MPH

7:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M.

2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

I pass those signs every morning around 4:30 A.M. Talk about your mixed signals.

Do I slow down?  Well, yes, if I see a police officer; however, if I don’t and I get a ticket do I not have a reasonable argument that the directions were unclear?

If I do not see an officer, I do not slow down. I zip along at 35 or 40 MPH. The speed limit is 30.

A collection of ancient books as large as the Bible must contain mixed signals, but only if we insist that everything in the Bible is to be taken literally and authoritatively.

Thus, we read in some parts of the Bible that wine is a good thing; in other parts it isn’t so great.

When we read the gospels, we have a synoptic Jesus and a Johannine Jesus. Among the synoptics we have a secretive Jesus, a Jewish Jesus, and an intelligent, almost Gentile Jesus.

In fact, there is just about every kind of spiritual word for everyone in the Bible. I prefer the Wisdom Movement over the Apocalyptic Movement in the Bible, for instance.

The signals aren’t mixed in the Bible. They are bound together so we can find our God of love in their words.

Blessings…