IT'S NOT BLACK OR WHITE ... OR GRAY EITHER

It’s possible that the categories of right and wrong are not always as easy as we make them. I’m not advocating relativism. I am, however, suggesting that we may not always look at things from all angles, and too often limit our scope and approach.

For many in our world right and wrong is a simple matter of black and white. In this kind of world there are times that black and white thinking do not work. This is when they defer to the “gray area.” This is the place that is spoken of when a decision for or against something does not seem to work.

But maybe there is a third way that goes beyond black and white and gray. All we need to do is look at our world and we will see it everywhere we look - color. It’s even in the Bible.

This sacred book is filled with stories of men and women living in this world of ours. They were just like us. They experienced it all - failure, success, death, birth, betrayal, friendship, love, hate, hope, fear tears and laughter. There are pages filled with insights, wisdom, instruction and observations about life. One writer in the Bible even said Scripture itself is alive and active.

Rightfully so, for thousands of years people have looked to this book to learn of who God is, who we are and how we can live in relationship to him and one another. The Bible weighs so heavy that some claim it is the final authority on all things.

But is it really?

Is it possible that this claim is something the Bible does not claim about itself? If we say it is the final authority, then why does it point to God as the final authority? Who makes the official decision on how its authority gets applied? Why do some Christians observe one rule for living while others observe another? What about the things the Bible does not address? Why is it unclear? Is it authoritative at all? Is this a gray area?

Questions like these and more may only reveal that we have applied black and white thinking to a colorful book. Sure, in a world of color we can see black and white, but it is always a part of a larger picture. This ought to make us stop and consider how we engage Scripture.

When we think in black and white categories, and then apply that grid to the Bible we may end up using it as something it was never intended to be. This is why many view it as a rulebook, a set of instructions or a reference manual that validates certain doctrinal beliefs. This kind of approach does an injustice to the beauty of the biblical narrative.

The Bible is so much more. We cannot forget that it teaches us about the massive story of God. It is a story that invites us to see and understand this present world, and the new world that God is bringing about right here in the middle of this one. We don’t just read the story of the Bible. We, along with God and others, participate in it.

It is this participation that calls us into conversation with God, one another and the Word itself. It is not just something that we look to for answers; it helps us to ask the right questions. It causes us to look within ourselves to see ourselves as God sees us. It allows us to better understand God, and yet reveals the mystery of God.

It is a book written in beautiful, vibrant color. Any attempt to make it black and white is not true to what it is. We need to engage the Bible on its terms and not on ours. In doing so, we may just find ourselves swept up in the story Scripture tells . When this happens we will discover the deep love of the God of whom the Bible speaks. And there is nothing black or white or gray about that.

*This blog was written as some thoughts and intended to be the beginning of conversation about how we can better engage the words of Scripture. My hope is that this blog is will be shared with your friends so that you can move on to discuss your approach to the Bible.