I continue to enjoy Bible Stories. They’re fascinating, simple, profound, remarkable, enjoyable, frustrating, mysterious, compelling, powerful, transforming…
Friends with no apparent faith tell me they don’t believe the Bible. As conversation progresses it appears that they haven’t read it. They’ve picked up bits of apparent non-sense, reaching what to me seems like to a mis-informed conclusion.
Friends who say they’re Christians tell me they do believe the Bible. As conversation progresses it seems that they too haven’t read it. They’ve picked up bits of apparent sense; perhaps they too reached to a mis-informed conclusion…
Musing… Daniel 4…
Powerful King Nebuchadnezzar has a breakdown: ‘He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.’
Mental health issues continue to be a huge concern for many friends…
Eventually Nebuchadnezzar says: ‘I raised my eyes towards heaven and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified him who lives for ever.’
Nebuchadnezzar found that amongst the complexity of mental ill-health, emotional confusion and unanswered riddles there is an eternal God of sanity.
Musing… John 9…
Jesus meets a man born blind. His disciples ask: ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’
Some friends ask ‘Why illness?’ Why does a loving God allow suffering?…Is God is punishing us?
Others discuss the randomness of illness. In life’s ‘lucky draw’ you pull out the cancer, covid or good health straw…
Jesus answers: ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned… but this happened that the work of God might be displayed in his life…’
Jesus doesn’t discuss the cause of illness; it isn’t about chastisement or chance… It’s about challenge; Jesus sees how God works in and through illness…
Musing further… timelessly relevant old, old stories…
malcolmsmusings.org 