Do you hear what I hear? Do you read what I read?

Acts 1:15-26

          An interesting piece of church history, right here in this passage. If you had to guess, what would you say an Apostle was most similar to? I'd have to say Bishop. But here, after Jesus handed over the reigns to Peter, there is no appointment, there is an election. I'm not making this up as you can read, they casted lots. By any other name, an election. Why is it not done so now?  In fact  I think it is except in the one church that claims that they alone are the one true church.

           At this mornings service at the Friary, the reflection was about the Bible. There was a brand new baby in our midst, less than a week old and the good brother made a point of saying he did not think young ears and eyes were suitable to read the Bible. Even pictorial representations could be quite disturbing. He's right. Have you read some of the stuff that's in there?

            In the Bible you have stories of rape, concubines, brothers killing brothers, whole people mowing down other peoples, slavery, incest and the list goes on and on. Rather disturbing wouldn't you say? So what is the true message in all that we read? If the Bible is a series of books in different  genres that all try to speak about the love story of a God and His people; if the Bible is a people trying desperately to place the God they love in the center of their difficult and imperfect lives, what can we say is the foundational message that God wishes us to have? There are many messages for sure. I don't think that the story of Lot offering up his daughters for gang rape in lieu of the townsmen raping Lot's guests is any real message other than how inhospitable the townspeople were and I am being generous in that  judgement. I certainly don't think it typifies gay love or an example used to prohibit same sex love and relationships. Certainly any more than Lots daughters being offered up in place of gay rape is an example against heterosexual love and relationships. Rape is rape, not a good example to be reading in scripture, eh?

           So what is the example of scripture? What is the message of God to us his revealed word? Oddly enough it is all about love. However poorly written in so many passages, there are hints f love throughout. The psalms, love stories, David and Johnathan, Ruth and Naomi, Te Centurion and his 'dear' "slave". 

           If the Jews of the day did not get the real message, Jesus came to give it to them. Not in condemnation but in words and actions. Jesus gave the two great commandments the basis of which is love . Jesus' actions were all about love. This is at the core and intent of all scriptures. 

        We have to be very careful what messages we yank out of scripture randomly. We know scriptures have been used to justify war, slavery and countless other social sins. none of which have anything to do with love.  Going back to the passage from today, I do find it fascinating that of all the examples of scripture, voting (democracy) is a clear and obvious lesson to be learned. After inquisitions, crusades, ignorance and arrogance, child abuse and cover ups, still, voting is not even close to a rule in the "one true church".

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’ (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ‘For it is written in the book of Psalms,
“Let his homestead become desolate,
   and let there be no one to live in it”; and
“Let another take his position of overseer.”
So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.