A
hermeneutic of love.
Hermeneutics
is, basically, defined as “a general theory of how people interpret
stuff.” This can apply to all kinds of things. For instance, if
you are a chef, you may apply a hermeneutic of cooking to a travel
log of Europe. If you are a historian, you may apply a hermeneutic
of history to a novel about colonial America. If you are a referee,
you may apply a hermeneutic of officiating to any game you happen to
be watching.
Hermeneutics,
however, tends to be specifically focused on biblical reading/study;
because, honestly, nobody really talks about the hermeneutics of
officiating.
I
have a friend named Paul whom I've mentioned before. Paul and I have
a standing appointment on Mondays to discuss where we are each coming
from in our particular biblical interpretations and my sermons. Paul
leans more conservative and evangelical than I do, and he really
doesn't have any experience with liturgical churches, let alone the
Episcopal church, and ever since we met he's been fascinated with my
take on scripture. So we get together every Monday and talk and/or
study and reflect on scripture. Our first attempt at this was the
book of Ruth, and now we're tackling Colossians.
Paul
is also a historian, so he tends to come at texts with a hermeneutic
of history behind him – what was society like when this was
written, who was it addressed to, what was the author trying to get
across in that time and place, and the like.
And
in our most recent session, he asked me, “What hermeneutic are you
using when you read scripture and as you develop your sermon? What
is your baseline that you want your people to know?”
In
good Episcopal fashion I said, “That depends.”
But
after sorting out and pushing to the side all of what depends, I
eventually said, “I suppose I operate from a hermeneutic of love.”
That
opened up a whole new can of worms. But in essence I said this:
All
of scripture is trying to bring humanity and God back into a full and
complete relationship. The prophets called us to return to God. God
is continually searching for ways to reach us. Scripture shows our
struggle to understand God. Jesus showed us what it looks like to
live in complete harmony with the will of God. Jesus taught God what
it is to be human. And all through the Old and New Testaments, love
is at the center.
If
we read scripture in a way that belittles, ostracizes, casts off,
treats others as less-than, or treats ourselves as more-than or
better-than, we are reading scripture incorrectly. And the only way
to properly read scripture is with an eye toward the restoration of
humanity and God to a full and complete relationship. That is a
hermeneutic of love.
How
are you reading scripture? More importantly, how are you reading
life?
Blessings,
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