tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995542091297895571.post3803202477741293717..comments2012-05-12T09:23:42.272-07:00Comments on 4th United Presbyterian Bible Blog: Still Thinking about Saul and David and the Book of 1st SamuelRev. G.H. Watershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558278848613476485noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995542091297895571.post-72265665810270832732010-10-01T04:50:24.232-07:002010-10-01T04:50:24.232-07:00Malcolm: Maybe you have gotten close to the center...Malcolm: Maybe you have gotten close to the center of what these thoughts are all about. My mind goes back to the early part of Genesis and the reason humans were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. <br /><br />The terms helpful and unhelpful or other such non-moralistic terms seem to be very "helpful" in our time. I find myself using terms like enhances or twists life, and gives energy or depletes energy. I think we need to move towards thinking of God as the power of life and knowing that God's power is all good. And, I want to summarize what you said as: connect primarily to God, but let your "moral judgments" be secondary to that primary relationship to God. Because moral judgments about others remove us from relationship and establish us in a judgeship over another/others. That doesn't mean we can't exercise discretion and determine one thing is better than another, or more advisable than another - just that we continue to make decisions about things with acknowledgement that we have a limited perspective. Humility is a real blessing and probably takes a lifetime to realize.Rev. G.H. Watershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15558278848613476485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995542091297895571.post-26010989662490110932010-09-23T17:33:08.799-07:002010-09-23T17:33:08.799-07:00Well George... you've done it now!
I don'...Well George... you've done it now!<br /><br />I don't know how many conservatives and liberals you have alienated with your wise words with this posting, but as for me, I am reminded of the words of a song from my youth... "he's telling my life with his words..."<br /><br />Having lived a good part of the last four years like Saul, I can identify only too well with the questions you ask... and I can't say that my answer would be much better. But I can share with you a part of the way I have come to live with the conundrum.<br /><br />I am learning to be more circumspect with the words "good and evil". I have begun to suspect that neither Saul, or his biographer, or many of us for that matter, really know what is good or evil in God's eyes. <br /><br />Oh... we know the commandments and we know how Jesus challenged the "righteous" of his day and we know how Paul pushed us to think about sin and how we "miss the mark" and we know how the Church has defined "good and evil" over the centuries... but... I wonder if the problem with sin isn't so much our desire to name what is good and evil instead of waiting for God to reveal His judgment. I wonder if we don't get so caught up in trying to "play God" that we are not able to see the good that God brings from the midst of the trials and temptations that assail us.<br /><br />For now... I am content to evaluate people and actions more on the scale of "helpful v unhelpful" and let God make the call about good and evil.<br /><br />Having said all that... keep up the good work!<br /><br />malcolmmalcolmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544176238296455452noreply@blogger.com