I had a tooth pulled. It was part of a traumatic series of events that have a long and storied dental history that is my life. It wasn't all. The periodontist also took a slice of my gum and grafted it to the gumline in the front of my mouth while at the same time clipping the area of my lip that was pulling the gum away from my teeth.
I'm sorry if that was gross. It is just what happened.
This was a series of events that I tried to change. I tried to tell myself that I didn't need to go through with this. I thought there would be a way of avoiding it. I thought that I could get out of it some way.
I was wrong.
The problem with the gumline was there and it didn't matter how you interpreted it. The problem with the molar was there, the wisdom teeth had killed it and there was no recovery.
In the end I was left with the simple truth that I needed to go through about two hours of oral surgery in order to move forward with a healthy mouth.
Scripture is the same. We can interpret it any way that we want in order to get across the message that we want. How many times do we just read it and let the Scriptures read us? I mean really meditate on the Scriptures? Inevitably we are going to be confronted with the eternal truth that it is in the Scripture and God is going to require that we remove the rotten tooth of sin, that He patch a new life over our old one so that we may live in Him. The time to ignore the truth is over. Let's read the x-ray for what it is.
Now that we have taken time to integrate a consistent contemplation of Jesus into our every day lives, we want to continue to do so. If we do that without actually getting to know Jesus, to let the Gospels pour over us so that we start to know who Jesus is, then who are we praying to? Who are we asking to walk with us every day during our day? Every time we walk through a door way? Who are we asking to change us in light of the Beatitudes, the Virtues, the Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit?
So here is the next step.
Read the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
There will be time enough for extensive study of the Scriptures and all types of intellectual pursuits later. For now, just simply get to know the God that came down and became human so that we might be joined to Him for all eternity. Get to know His reactions to the big things and to the small things.
What did Jesus talk about at the Transfiguration? What brought Jesus joy? When did Jesus weep? When did Jesus get angry?
Utilize the Lectio Divina, that ancient form of praying the Scriptures. You can do this with just one verse, or one segment of the Scriptures. It is quite an easy process to do and you will find more in Scripture than you ever imagined.
First pick out the segment or verse that you are going to read. Read it. Don't just skim it, but really let each word sink in. Recognize how the words fit together, why they are being written that way. What does each word really mean? Not for you, not for the world, but for the situation that is being described in the Scriptures.
Contemplate it. Take time to really think about the Scripture that is being presented. What is really happening here? What would happen if you were in the situation? What do you imagine the person who is in the Scripture verse is like? What have they gone through in their lives? How do they know God?
Talk to God about the Scripture. God is the ultimate Scripture guide and He is there to show you so much! Ask God to reveal things to you that you don't understand. If you think that you really have a handle on the Scriptures at that point, ask God to open up new things to you that He wants you to know. It isn't simply a matter of God allowing you to read your own thing, but really take the opportunity to talk to God, to question God, to allow yourself to plunge into the ocean that is the Lord.
Then simply listen to God. Swim in His presence as presented in the Scriptures. God wants to talk to you so much He wrote you a giant love letter. It would be a shame not to read it. Allow God to wash over you as you read the Scripture verse or segment again. Let the gentle movements of your heart be like the tide on a summer day, silently, but sometimes swiftly, moving the boat over the water. What is God saying to you about your own life? What is God saying to you about Himself?
The tooth hurt the night after the procedure. I sat on the couch with ice on my face, thinking about every reason in the world why I did not need to be going through the pain I was going through.
I felt fine.
I didn't think the rotten tooth and gum was a big deal.
Sometimes we get so used to the rottenness in our own lives that we forget the fact that we need medicine. That the medicine is going to hurt because we are so used to our old selves. C.S. Lewis once wrote that God does not want to just fix a simple tooth here and there. God want the entire mouth. The whole thing belongs to Him. He wants to give us a whole new set of teeth.
Questions for Reflection:
- What challenges present themselves in your own life in regard to reading the Scriptures?
- What might change if you decide to simply read the Gospels for the next four to six weeks?
- What "tooth" does God want to remove? To fix? What part of your "gums" does God need to graft over with new life?
- What prevents you from reading the Scriptures? How can you overcome this?
- Why don't more people read the Scriptures today? How many of those reasons are reasons that you use for not reading the Scriptures?
- Read one chapter of the Bible. If you need to start with one, start with the Gospel of Mark. If you can do the genealogies, start with Matthew.
- Practice the discipline of Lectio Divina at some point today. Give yourself about 15 minutes to really sink your teeth into a verse from Scripture. If you don't do the first chapter from the Gospel, try the Psalm of the day or a verse from one of the daily mass readings.
- Make it a point to pray with the Scriptures every day this week. This may mean reading one to five chapters a day, but the ideal would be to take 15 minutes and actually practice the Lectio every day. Make a point to write down what you think the Lord is trying to tell you.
- Create a list of questions that you have about the Scriptures, or things that keep you from reading on a regular basis. Bring it to someone that you trust and try to find the answers.
- All of us know something about the Scriptures. Look for an opportunity to teach what you know to someone else.
Pray the Lectio Divina at some point in the day.
