In my Four Gospels, One Jesus course, an excerpt from Soren Kierkegaard from Self-Examination / Judge for Yourself (1851, Denmark) caught my attention and ties into reading Psalm 15 yesterday:
"...Yes, alone with God's Word! My listener, allow me to make a confession about myself here. I still do not dare to be utterly alone with God's Word. I don't have the honesty and courage for it. I dare not! If I open it - any passage - it traps me at once. It asks me - indeed, it is as if it were God himself who does the asking - "Have you done what you read there?" And then I am trapped. Then either right into action or immediately a humbling confession. Oh, to be alone with Scripture; yet if you are not, then you are not truly reading..."
"...It is only all too easy to understand the requirements contained in God's Word ("Give all your goods to the poor." "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the left." "If anyone takes your coat, let him have your cloak also." "Rejoice always." "Count it sheer joy when you meet various temptations" etc.). The most ignorant, poor creature cannot honestly deny being able to understand God's requirements. But it is tough on the flesh to will to understand it and to then act accordingly. Herein lies the problem. It is not a question of interpretation, but action."
Oh the problem of action.
And I am usually coming with a bagful of 'humbling confessions' yet the action lingers and I avoid eye contact.
Today's Non-Complaint: it's so lovely when problems are easily solved.
No comments:
Post a Comment