Come Let Us Reason Together

As I prepare for the release of my latest book, entitled the same as this post, my annual read through of the Old Testament in contrast with insights captured within my book, screams not only a story of hope, but necessity that we come to grips with our new knowledge of the heavens and its impact upon our theology.

Even a brief exposure to the 1990 Pale Blue Dot photograph of Earth, as seen from the Voyager 1 space probe (see attached circled mage) is evidence of how relatively tiny our globe is within the millions of whirling galaxies which we now have evidence of by way of the Hubble and Webb telescopes.

Surely this should cause us to wonder where all this expanding creation is taking humanity. We Beings loved by that same Creator, as represented in the embodiment of the man Jesus, God incarnate.

Yes, I'll reluctantly own that I am a Christian...trying to live and lead like Jesus, though right now its seems risky.

Moses' personal knowledge or the scribes who captured such from which we take our understanding of Creation, though evidently inspired given Isreal's journey, seems now insufficient to explain the heavens, at least from a Pauline perspective of "third" place above the sky.

If we journey back to Moses' Genesis and pick up on Abram's call out of the idolatry of his day, we read a story of generational alliance with the God of the galaxies.

Abram (later called Abraham..."Abram" means "exalted father," while "Abraham" means "father of many nations"), births Isaac, one almost sacrificed given Abram's exposure to wrathful requirements imprinted upon him by his father, yet fortunately spared by a ram caught in a thicket", survives to clean up his dads mess, later "redigging the wells of his father".

He still fell victim to some of Abram's ways, case in point with Abemilech & his beautiful wife, Rebekah.

His son, Jacob is then some what redeemed from his swindler ways after wrestling with God, though "left with a limp". Finally we arrive at Joseph, though sold into slavery, by providence and becomes second in command of Egypt.

Stay with me, run-on sentences and all!

What was meant for evil was for their good, and frankly that gives me hope for a similar story unfolding today!

Eventually the prophets speak out about the growing contrast between the desires of a loving God and what Judaism had become with its inexhaustible accumulation of laws, ritual and sacrifices required.

Much irony lay within the self-righteousness that Judaism had made of what Moses' limited understanding of God had left behind for them.

That irony well captured in that the tribe of Judah descended from Rahab the Harlot, per Matthew's Gospel!

Yet Micah 5:2 states, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel". That scarlet thread from Joshua's Jericho and the prostitute who hid his spies provides an amazing story of grace, setting up the entry of the long awaited Messiah.

From the seed of David by way of Ruth's faithfulness and near-kinsman Boaz, the lineage of Jesus is restored from the potential losses fostered by the Levites, Moses' lineage.

All this trajectory is again interrupted when a rag-tag band of disciples lose their leader to the Roman cross, an "unplanned mishap" perhaps by a second Judah ("Judas" is a Greek derivative of the Hebrew name "Judah," meaning that "Judas" is essentially the Greek version of the name Judah; both names share the same origin and meaning, which is "praise" or "praised").

My guess is the one whom Jesus referred to as "Friend" upon his arrest never meant his plan as betrayal for 30 pieces of silver, though the disciples would see it that way.

That cheap bounty was what the priesthood saw as appropriate, yet even the eventual use of those coins, which Judas would later throw at their feet was prophesied before hand.

Matthew 27:9-10 tells of Jeremiah saying "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."

Then the story takes us to Peter's denial, himself still used of God, warts and all, just as Abraham, Jacob and Moses. Then eventually the murdering Saul of Tarsus, all this again gives me hope of personal potential!

It also gives me license to explore our theology a little closer, as was the case with Luther, having struggled with his 95 Theses, a document that he posted in 1517 that challenged the Roman Catholic Church's practices and beliefs.

If history is explored, it seems that about every 500 years we reach an "aHa!" moment of openness that delivers upon new and necessary insight into the providence of this Celestial Being, Jehovah. Less and less likely an elderly human sitting upon a throne! That image once served us well in understanding the Kingdom of God in Jesus' day.

Now enter the Webb Telescope, the growing struggles within the institution we know as church, along with the global polotical pressures now manifesting in the place some came to see as a Second Isreal, America!

I'd say we are on the cusp of a new revelation of just what the Heavens now hold for our future, at minimum given the growing hunger for spirituality among next gen Christ-followers, their hope less found within the walls of the institution.

Surely all this begs another transformational moment for our theology, at least with this old Boomer!