“ ….I am the way, the truth and the life …. “ Jesus of Nazareth in John 14
There are conservative and liberal think tanks. I am confused by the terms that we use for these organizations. The do research for themselves, and then release their information to the general public or for their own political groups. If you are a conservative “think tank” you mostly think in conservative terms, and if you are a liberal think tank, you think in liberal terms. Therefore, you are really not thinking. You have your own agenda before you do your research. If you find something you do not like, then you might not release as widely. This happens on all sides and in all areas of political life. So, who are we to believe, and what are we to believe. I do not think that we should call them think tanks anymore.
I think it is the way that we treat Jesus and his words in the Bible There are four biographies of Jesus in the Christian holy book, the New Testament . If you are a Christian it is hard to read the life of Jesus with new eyes. You have a history with the book and the church, and you have a certain orientation when you read, and it is really hard to listen to the words, at least for me.
For example, Jesus is hard on divorce, but says nothing about same-sex relationships. He is hard on people who do not treat people well who are on the edge of society, and says nothing about drinking ( but, there is that miracle of wine into water with barrels of wine ). He is challenging the religious leaders, people like myself, to stopping following all the rules, but then he says we should follow God’s Law ( includes the Ten Commandments ). He talks more about life here on earth , than about hell or heaven.
We have theologies, ways to understand God, from the liberal and conservative ends of the world. Often, we read the words of Jesus, so that they fit into our ideas. We often create a Jesus in our own image. Jesus thinks and acts like we do. We are projecting onto Jesus the Saviour what we think salvation should like .
Jesus spoke to an audience about 2000 years ago. He spoke to them in terms that they understood. It is a very different culture than I live in today. It is a huge faith jump from rural Palestine to suburban Elmira. I do not think that Jesus had a coherent theology for conservatives or liberals. He was , and I believe is, a living person ( and Son of God ) who continues to challenge my understanding of faith in God . Jesus is the “ way” , but I am trying find my way along the road that he has set out for the world. Sometimes, I get lost along the way. I am always seeking the “truth”, but the truth seems to be beyond me, but I will continue to seek truth in all aspects of my life. And Jesus is part of my “life”, and I am seeking to find a new life everyday. I need to continue to seek and find a new Jesus every morning.
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 