Reading from Saturday, September 4

Hey, I've missed a few days. My bad. We were down at Jill's mom's house playing Canasta and going to the early bird buffet at the casino and doing the word jumble every morning. It was awesome.

I have a couple things going on in my mind that I'd like to talk about before I jump into the Bible.

1) This Florida pastor who is threatening to burn copies of the Koran. Really dude? First of all, based on my understanding, the Koran represents terrorists no more than the Bible represents the Westboro Baptist Church. Secondly, what the hell are you gonna prove by doing that? It's just gonna give people who hate us more reason to do so.

2) On a more peaceful note, I read "The Magician's Nephew" this weekend. This is chronologically the first book in the Narnia series. My interest in the story came from a few people's description of a specific scene. If you don't know, The Chronicles of Narnia contains many references to the Bible and Christianity. In The Magician's Nephew, Narnia is created by the God/Christ figure of the story, Aslan - a lion. But it's not just "Boom - Narnia is created" Aslan is walking around a blank landscape, singing Narnia into existence. As he sings the world is created around him.

First off - that's awesome. It's such a cool way to view the creation story and it really adds that layer of creativity that I felt when reading Genesis, but is readily apparent when reading this book.

Secondly, Jilly has been suggesting this scene as a sleeve tattoo for my arm, so I wanted to read it before I committed to it. And I am totally ready to get it. So excited.

OK, that's all. Bible time.

Reading for September 4
Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18
Alfredo talks a lot about the idea of "why do bad things happen to good people?"

Here's a few of his musings on the subject:

 ^7:15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
       a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,
       and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

^8:14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.

While I don't think we get an answer from either Alfredo or Job, I do find comfort in these two books in regards to this subject. I think the common misconception is that within the Bible there are clear rules and consequences; that within the Bible good things happen to good people and bad things happen to sinners. But this is not true. We see the situation with Job - a near perfect follower of God - yet he receives maybe the most awful and targeted attack on a human besides Jesus in the entirety of the Bible. And here too in Ecclesiastes, the teacher sees that these things happen and is upset by it, just as we are upset by it today.

So while there are no clear cut answers as to why a good God would punish good people, we do see that it has been going on ever since the fall of man and that it's not breaking the consistency of God's character for those things to happen. So I think that takes some wind out of disproving God's existence through that theory.

It's not a great answer, but it's something.

2 Corinthians 7:8-16
We once again have a connection between the NT reading and the OT reading. Both this reading and the reading from Ecc. point to the idea of growing through sadness or suffering. This is an idea that is throughout the Bible, but here are the two examples. 

^{2 Corinthians
10}Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

^{Ecclesiastes
3} Sorrow is better than laughter,
      for sadness has a refining influence on us.

I have found this to be true in life. The times of greatest pain are the times when big decisions and growth is made - if the pain is what Paul describes as "Godly". There is the sorrow of wallowing in self pity - where I often find myself, but then there is the sadness over the loss of a loved one, maybe to substance abuse or drunk driving, that will refine and change your heart for the better.  

Psalm 48:1-14

In this Psalm, the writer compares God to the city of Jerusalem and in fact sees God in the city itself.

 ³ God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
      revealing himself as its defender.

¹³ Take note of the fortified walls,
      and tour all the citadels,
   that you may describe them
      to future generations.
 ¹⁴ For that is what God is like.
      He is our God forever and ever,
      and he will guide us until we die.

I wish I could have this sort of connection to my city. I don't think that God himself is in the corner Bank of America, revealing himself as the defender of Westwood, NJ.

Proverbs 22:17-19 
Encouragement to read and memorize Proverbs

¹⁷ Listen to the words of the wise;
      apply your heart to my instruction.
 ¹⁸ For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
      and always ready on your lips.
 ¹⁹ I am teaching you today—yes, you—
      so you will trust in the Lord.

Word up homies. Let me know your thoughts on the Koran thing and the Narnia thing. Or thoughts on anything. I'm open for convo.