When I was seven one of the gifts I received for Christmas
was a beginner geology kit. It was a
collection of rocks with information as to their characteristics and places in
the world where they are found. In my
budding nerdiness I dove into the rocks fascinated by their colour and
shape. One of my favorites was a stone
called mica. It is a sheet silicate that
can be easily peeled in what seems like infinite layers. This particular kind
of mica, sheet mica is used in electronics, isinglass, and atomic force microscopy. It is a fascinating mineral. It was also the mineral that one of my early
mentors used to describe the in-plumb-able depths of the Word of God.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a new friend and colleague
I had met. We were speaking yesterday
and he reminded me how much he loved reading his Bible because of this very
thing. So many people study, write
about, and discuss the Bible without really reading it. I have been reading it for years and never
found it to be dull or incomprehensible.
Rather, I find that every time I approach it honestly it has something
new to teach me.
Recently I have been on a quest to renew something I did
years ago that served me greatly. For
about two years I read the Bible through once a month. I have been doing this again for the last two
months. Just this week as I started
again the begets of Genesis and the laws of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
seemed like the doldrums of the south Pacific.
I was actually pondering giving up the endeavor when I had my conversation
yesterday with Ted.
His words resurfaced in my mind today as I approached my
Bible. I took the time to reread yesterday’s
words with a better attitude. Like the mica from my geology kit the words
peeled back to reveal more of who God is and how he feels about me. I was
reminded that God’s prime mover is his love for us. I saw how much he wishes for us to love
everyone else no matter where they come from or who they are.
I will never thump the Bible at you Dear Reader but it is precious
to me. I wish that I could get everyone
just to simply read it. It is powerful
and living. It has a story to tell that
is one of hope and courage. It is a
story about who we are and where we are going as humans. Like any great story it changes us as we
engage with it. We have to be willing to
openly read it.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer
who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home
owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store."
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Very interesting analogy! It reminds me of a trip my wife and I took through Maine 22 years ago. We discovered an old abandoned quartz mine at the summit of Lord Hill (how appropriate!). The trail leading to the summit was an enchanting journey up a trail glittering with smoky quartz and white mica. When we reached the summit we discovered a large plateau that had the appearance of a massive crystal chandelier broken into millions of sparkling pieces!
ReplyDeleteHere is a blog post showing what this looks like! https://midlifeinmaine.wordpress.com/2011/09/page/2/