"Why did we never see this? Partly bcause we didn't understand how wemen were oppressed in Jesus' time and partly because males have been doing most of the Bible interpretation, I suppose. You never read the gospel very well from the high road."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p.335)
As a person who reads scripture with some degree of frequency, I'm always surprised by how I see something new, even in very familiar passages. What I've come to understand about this is that what is going on in my life at any given moment affects how I interpret the words in front of me. Part of my world view of course will not change. I will always be a straight, white male. That lens will impact how a passage speaks to me. The honest thing to do is at least admit that those filters exist. Not only when it comes to reading the Bible but also how I view the world.
I feel fortunate that I have been shown other views of scriptural interpretation. Reading commmentaries from women, non white folk, and even from GLBT community, gives me a glimpse into how passages are seen from their perspective. My job is not to dispute their finding, but to at least have an appreciation that there may be more than one way to experience the living word. If the only viewpoint that ever gets heard is mine, I'm poorer for it.
Blessings,
Ed
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment