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A Word from Grace Street

Beyond Words

October 07, 2009

My Dear People,

Henri Nouwen liked to quote an ancient Taoist teaching by Chuang Tzu:

"The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish; and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of the word is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to."

Amen, amen.

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The fundamentalist mind doesn't know this truth; or, anyway, won't accept it. 

The wise man does; and the wise woman does.

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The text itself -- biblical or otherwise -- is not the point.

And the text itself is never the ultimate authority.  (That would be idolatry.)

God, of course, is the ultimate authority. 

And God is our hope.

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Walter Brueggemann, one of the great biblical scholars of our day, says of scripture, "These words are true and they can be trusted."

We can say, with deep confidence (faith) that scripture is true and trustworthy, even if (quite) imperfect, not because of anything about scripture itself but because of the God we believe in.

What really matters -- and, actually, the reason that anything matters at all -- is that God is, indeed, true and trustworthy.

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God, true and trustworthy.

God, in whom we live and move and have our being. 

God, from whom all blessings flow.

God, our hope.

Amen.

Next entry: Inner-directedness

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