"To be biblical is not simply to quote the Bible. We need to tell this to the fundamentalists. To be biblical is not to quote Moses, it's to do what Moses did. To be biblical is to do what Abraham did, it's not to quote the Abraham story. It's to do what Jesus did, it's not simply to quote Jesus. Christians are to be in touch withe the same God Jesus was in touch with, the same wisdom tradition Jesus drew insight from. We are to be building that same unity and creating the same life that Jesus was creating and building. That's what it means to be biblical."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 272)
I'd like to think that I live a life based on biblical principles. That is not to say that you couldn't find some biblical principle that I have failed to incorporate into my being. Of course I also don't go around boasting about my biblical principles either.
I'm not all that impressed by folks who can lob biblical verses as if they were moral grenades. I'm incredibly impressed when I meet someone who's life reveals just how much of scripture has become part of the fabric of who they are. It's even more impressive when they don't even have to tell you that's what has occurred.
One of the hardest parts of trying to be biblical is that there are verses that are not convenient. That we are challenged by, and generally choose to ignore. For those of us in America it's usually the one's about money, though we do love the one's about sex.
One of the great scenes in the Gospel is the temptation of Jesus. There we see Satan and Jesus having a biblical point counter point. Jesus wins the battle not because he knows more scripture, but because of what scripture was for him. The devil knows the words but could never actually walk the walk.
Blessings,
Ed
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