Thursday Theology

This week's gospel reading is a familiar one for most of us. John 3:1-17 is the story of one of the day's religious leaders coming to Jesus in secret to ask questions.

When I read this passage today I think, "Some things never change."
Even 2,000 years ago you couldn't ask questions that challenged what was the accepted belief! Nicodemus was a "teacher of Israel" and had to come to Jesus in secret to ask his questions and find out what Jesus meant by his teaching.

I guess that's what religion does. It establishes what you have to believe in and is not open to learning anything else. It is not to be questioned nor debated any longer. There is nothing new to learn.

I wonder if this was the beginning of Nicodemus's deconstruction. I wonder if he began to question what he had been taught and what he had been teaching. I wonder if he ever voiced his questions and concerns out loud. I wonder if he was ever told you can no longer be a teacher; you can no longer be trusted to teach The Law. 

A place where it is not safe to ask questions is not a safe place.
Here is some BREAKING NEWS: Most churches are not safe places!
It's probably safe to say that most religions are not safe places.
I think it is safe to say that not one liturgical church will be preaching about the deconstruction of Nicodemus this weekend. 

It's funny how we can read a passage of the bible over and over without questioning what we know about it and then life happens and we interpret it differently or see it from a different perspective. Maybe the best practice would be to read it from Jesus' perspective. He recognized that Nicodemus was trying to understand heavenly things from an earthly perspective. Even as mere mortals, we have to try to see things from God's perspective.

What is God's perspective?
Love.
Love is God's perspective.
That changes a lot of what I've learned about the bible.

Maybe this picture from artist David Hayward will help:

You can find or purchase more of David's art here.

John