LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

Chrisitians, more than any other religious grouping, are people of the BOOK!

The BOOK of course is the Bible and need I say there are lots of ways to interpret this BOOK? Let me say up front that I cherish the BOOK and I read it sacramentally. The problem is not so much the BOOK, but the PEOPLE who read the BOOK to justify anything and everything that suits their purpose(s).

It’s been said, and I agree, that Christians are people of the BOOK and too often Christians put the BOOK above PEOPLE. Can you hear the truth in that? I think I have embraced some of what that means. There are days though that I am not so sure what I believe, which I don’t see as all bad, unless it makes room for more deeper darknesses.

I know my ego is taking a pounding, but that’s good. And that also hurts!

History has a list of atrocities of BOOK beating. In fact, if you’ve been a Christian for very long, you’ve probably had someone beat you over the head with the BOOK (maybe even literally, not just metaphorically). I couldn’t resist. Christians have killed hundreds of millions of people; however, we don’t own the concept. Every fox hole in every war has a soldier who claims God is on his side. We love to invoke the name of God- it gives us almost as much moral ground as when we claim we’re “victims”.

You know America’s history of discrimination, in the name of God: don’t you? More recently, South Africa upheld apartheid under the guise of the RAINBOW! It’s a stretch I know, however, Genesis 9:13-16 was proof that God did not want the COLORS to be MIXED. It’s hard for us, looking back, with 20-20 vision, but when you’re in the SOUP, as we all are now, it’s not so clear.

German troops wore belt buckles on their uniforms in not one but both World Wars which had written on them “Gott mit uns” : God is with us. Yes, Hitler felt like God was on his side. Only Stalin and much of the ancient U.S.S.R. rejected religion and God in the mix.

God forgive us!

I am HEARING that God is not happy with being USED! And we’re all USERS to some degree or another. Let me give you one example.

Men USE God to beat their wives into submission. “I’m the MAN of the house” say so many domineering, dictatorial, self-righteous MEN. Listen, if you have to even SAY that you are a “MAN”, you are NOT! Only our wives can testify to the degree of MAN-liness we are or are not. Just because you were born MALE, does not mean you are a MAN! With tongue-in-cheek let me remind us guys that MEN don’t eat quiche, and they give themselves to their wives like Christ did for the church: Ephesians 5:25. In other words, we’re here to serve, love, and protect our wives.

People of the BOOK, practice and LIVE it. And ultimately its a BOOK of LOVE : A ROMANCE novel.

Are you in love with the AUTHOR of the BOOK, or just the BOOK?