“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”— Colossians 4:4
“Jesus said, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ And they replied, ‘You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being, the ‘kerygma’ in which we find the ultimate meaning of our interpersonal relationships.’ And Jesus said, ‘What?'” (From a graffiti wall at St. John’s University in Minnesota.)
The church, theology, and spiritual truths can be mysterious, elusive, and mystifying—especially when religious leaders make them so.
Paul prayed for clarity. Theological discussions are fine, but when they obscure the real message, such lofty dialogues are likely to turn into debates where the end goal is to win an argument rather than love one another.
As grace flows through our hearts, may it also flow out in kind, thoughtful, interesting words that express the Gospel in a way that intrigues, cares, and reaches the hearts of people. That kind of conversation is never boring.
If you ever find yourself in the middle of a confusing or even hostile theological discussion or debate, please remember this: the Bible is rich with philosophy, history, poetry, and deep, sometimes mysterious, spiritual truths. But in the end, it is God’s Word and it is accessible to people of all levels of intellect, age, race, or cultural background.
The Bible’s ultimate message has been sung by countless children throughout the ages: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
“Christ said, ‘Feed my sheep… Feed My Lambs.’ Some preachers, however, put the food so high that neither lambs nor sheep can reach it. They seem to have read the text, ‘Feed my giraffes.'”—Charles Spurgeon
