I mentioned a while back that I've been reading a One-Year Bible, with the Good Book divided into daily readings that, if you keep up with it, covers the entire Bible in a year. The one I'm reading is a chronological version, following the verses in the order in which the scholars believe they were written. I'm about two weeks behind, but am catching up by reading two or three days' worth at a time.
This daily Bible reading is one of the best disciplines I've ever undertaken. It's been so rewarding I can't even explain it. Starting my day off by reading the Bible for 15 minutes to half an hour gives me great peace and has also given me some new, deeper insights into the Bible. We watched my daughter's dog this weekend, a Bichon named Lulu, and every time I read the Bible she sits on my lap, making it a little tricky sometimes to hold the Bible at a convenient angle. I think Lulu just likes to be around the Bible and soaks up some scriptures by osmosis.
It's interesting to me how some passages, even ones I've read dozens of time before, can just jump out at you one day and reveal something in a new light.
I was in Luke, Chapter 10, last weekend and verse 21 really came to life. It starts off by saying that Jesus was "full of joy through the Holy Spirit" -- which is quite the opposite mood of some previous verses where he was scolding his followers for their lack of faith (9:41) or inappropriate anger (9:55), or warning them not to bury their loved ones (9:60) or even say goodbye to family (9:62). Pretty harsh stuff!
So here's Jesus in a joyful mood, which made me pay even more attention to what he was about to say. What is it that, through the Holy Spirit, gives Jesus such joy? Here's the New International Version of Luke 10:21:
"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure."
In Matthew 15, we find another example of Jesus criticizing the wise and learned -- the Pharisees. After rebuking the Pharisees, or religious leaders of his day, for their bondage to legalism, and trying to explain in pretty strong terms that they should be more interested in spiritual truths than man-made rules, Jesus' disciples come up to him and say, "Do you know the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
Here is Jesus' response: "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
That is such a succinct and powerful analogy. The religious leaders are blinded, and their followers are just as blind. They're all heading for a ditch.
I think these verses very clearly apply to some of today's church leaders. The blind are leading the blind. It's not that the leaders are uneducated or stupid, they just don't have spiritual understanding.
As Jesus says -- with joy! -- God the Father has hidden things from the wise and the learned, things that even a child can see and understand.
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Fyi, Tony Comes, the Toledo firefighter who was abused by a priest and whose story was told in the Academy Award-nominated documentary Twist of Faith, has posted a few thoughts in a comment under my "Stupid, Slimy and Sleazy" blog below.
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Here is a link to a recent column by Catholic columnist Matt C. Abbott commenting on the Survivor Doe lawsuit against Gerald Robinzon and Gerald Mazuchowski.
Mr. Abbott's column includes a link to a "pdf" version of the 43-page lawsuit filed by Survivor Doe. Please note, as Matt points out, that the lawsuit contains graphic content. But I always believe it's good to check out the original source material if you are interested in a story.
Toledo, Ohio
November 12, 2007
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/071031