Elder Bridging & Assumptions Taught

This morning has been quite interesting in terms of the sequence of my reading, a question from a mentee and a broken commode.

Keep reading!

First things first, I always take the new pup out because I have yet to fix a fence that opens from the house directly. I know, too busy of late, but I will soon get around to it, because I know how to do almost anything around the house!

That's not arrogance, it's a blue collar blessing!

While outside with the pup, I was reading a recent online article written by a fundamentalist educator regarding four essentials recommended for one's spiritual growth. All are fairly practical assumptions among evangelical leaders and in this case, with all respect, those employed to reproduce denominational positions on world view.

Soon after that, I listened to another theologian, schooled by a rabbi*. This former fundamentalist scholar is, like myself, now in a reconstruction mode. His YouTube discussing centered around the thought processes of those who both wrote, interpreted and fostered the transition into Judeo-Christianity.

Just behind these two online inputs, I recieved a text from a twenty year younger mentee asking my thoughts about Exodus 4:24:

"One night while Moses was in camp, the Lord was about to kill him." (CVE).

Mind you, just a few verses before the Lord had instructed Moses to go back to Egypt because "Everyone who wanted to kill you is now dead.” 4:19b.

UHMMM?

My bridging response was brief, but essentially offered disagreement with the text, at least on the surface:

"Lots of cross over here in Abraham's walk out of idolatry, Egyptian history as to circumcision, Zipporah's cultural conclusions, and Moses' personal filter given his own cultural perspective. Scripture was seldom a direct download! If it's contrary to Jesus, it's religion or captured in the text for our contrast as 'an invitation to look further into the cryptic nature of scripture' (insert from aforementioned scholar)*.

I continued with " my thoughts but I don't know...which is faith!"

But what do I know, is the Spirit speaks to each of us through different means and over a vast window of time. We elders often a called to bridge the challenges faced by the younger, as well as to learn from them. Seldom to simply parrot what we were taught.

Even the sequence of circumstances of daily life can afford insights.

Case in point, when I walked into the house, my wife informed me of a broken flush lever on our commode and that I might should call a plumber?

No worry, I can fix anything.

I immediately lifted the porcelain top, checked out the problem, grabbed some WD40 to cut through the corrosion on the handle threads, and began to unscrew the tap holding the broken lever.

As I often tell my grandson, aways turn to the left to unscrew a nut, to the right to tighten. Hope said that right?

However, my assumption wasn't working!

Rather that risk cracking the porcelain around the flush handle, I decide to try turning in the opposite direction!

Yes, my previous assumption about the corroded threads was in error. It had been reverse threaded in order prevent unintended loosening of the fixture when in use.

One can easily make assumptions, even well intended, when outside their field of expertise!

Why would this not apply to a scripture text, thousands of years old, and filtered through several cultures.

Thinking is not a bad thing to do, listening to the Spirit while thinking, even better.

Oh, and don't discount even the sequence of circumstances when the Spirit is speaking, or the advice of an elder!