You may have realized that the Intramuralist has a bit of a “nerdy side.” Sorry, I’m pretty comfortable with it. It’s the part of me that implored me to memorize each offensive stat for every Major League Baseball starter as a kid — and the same motive for committing each amendment in the Bill of Rights to a different (albeit creative and quite timely) tune. Yes, my inner nerd remains alive and well.
The beautiful aspect of this nerdy self is that it’s prompted by a sincere quest for knowledge. I want to know what actually is good and true and right. I don’t just want to repeat that mantra because it sounds good. Hence, as an adult, the pursuit has continued — although absent a few of the most current baseball statistics.
One of my keen pursuits is the annual reading of the bible. Call me nerdy. Call me nuts. Ask me what kind of reading is that. But the bottom line is that if this is a centuries old revering of wisdom, then I want to know what’s in it. I don’t want to express concurrence nor contention without being fully aware of what’s in the book. I also don’t want to simply pick and choose what to apply. I want to know the book in its entirety. I want to understand what has made this book so offensive to so many. I want to get why still more have embraced it with their last, dying breath. If this is a book of unparalleled wisdom, then I want to comprehend what I can — rather than rely on someone or something other than the source to filter what it says.
Let the record show — human as I am (and God, have a little grace on me, por favor) — that sometimes I’ve gotten a little bored. There have been passages where I utter a “what” or “what’s the big deal” or even an “ewwww.” When I search through the kings’ annals and ancient building code accounts, I’ve even (sorry) been prone to dozing off. As seemingly always, however, something strikes me. Profoundly. Something typically unexpected… but yet, amazingly, acutely, relevant. Just as it did this morning…
Attention all… God’s message…
There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
There is violence everywhere —
one murder after another.
That is why your land is in mourning,
and everyone is wasting away.
Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea are disappearing.
Don’t point your finger at someone else
and try to pass the blame…
My people are being destroyed
because they don’t know me.
Know it’s with great sobriety that I share the above — aware of the violence in our land… the effect on our environment… the individual, corporate, and even government’s dishonorable behavior — and also a behavior often seemed ignored or even celebrated. We all have at some time engaged in poor behavior, yet as I read the above, I’m struck with how it begins… with “no acknowledgement of God in the land.”
Are we freely allowed to acknowledge God in this land?
Or is that being squelched? Is God’s name being removed? From public places? From public credit?
I wonder… “my people are being destroyed because they don’t know me.” My inner nerd wants to comprehend how relevant that is today…
Respectfully,
AR