I am sure that when the readings speak of divorce and remarriage there are many people who cringe. With this world that prizes nonjudgmental talk, sometimes reading the Scriptures makes us scared. I will come across as judgemental if I say something like this. I am sure there are many times when we hear a passage in Scripture and our tendency is to gloss over it or ignore it. It is as though we are putting our hands on our ears and saying, “I can’t hear you.” I feel your pain. There are often very inconvenient truths in Scripture that we hear at perhaps inopportune times. I don’t think that most of us expect a dialogue with God in these types of verses. We think God will simply yell at us or say in a guilt laden voice, “These are commands not suggestions. I am right and you are wrong.”
In my time in the seminary, the rector was very amazing but also strict. He had a piecing frown, though he never raised his voice. He didn’t need to because a look was enough to crush the bravest heart. On the door handle that led to his office, the chrome was worn off in places and the brass was exposed. It was the only door handle with this anomaly. I believe the cause was that when most of us entered his office we were nervous so the sweat from our hands wore the chrome off. One morning at breakfast, the rector, Fr Nicholas, came to my table and said, “I see you got in late last night. Come to my office and we will discuss it.” I, of course, said yes but that I had to wash dishes that morning so I told him after dishes I would see him. I was thinking: Sure, this is going to be quite a discussion. He will tell me I am wrong and that I shouldn’t have been out that late and then who knows what after that. Don’t we all like the, “who knows what after that” clause. It is ominous and scary, like when we were told as a child if you don’t go to bed you won’t like what is going to happen. We turn our imaginations against us. Anyways, you can probably guess that dishes weren’t that much fun that morning. I made the long walk back to the residence and I went to the den of fear. I knocked, silently hoping he wasn’t there, but he was and he bid me to enter. I opened the door, probably removing more chrome than usual, and stepped inside. I was thinking how unfair this whole thing was, I was one of a group who was late and I wasn’t the most senior student or the oldest. Fr Nicholas sat there in all his stern glory and asked why I was late last night. I told him the truth that the nun who ran the prison ministry invited us out to Tim Horton’s for meeting. Fr Nicholas gently said that it was fine and that next time we should ask for a key so we don’t have to wake up other students to get back into the Seminary. I learned over time to come and see Fr Nicholas and often sought his advice. While it was true that his frown could scare the devil himself, his smile was like the sunset. His advice was always simple and cut through the arguments. When many students dreaded his Sunday lectures and sat in the back, I sat in the front because I want to hear this man of God. He really is the greatest man I have ever met.
What is my point? My point is when you and I see Scriptures that we don’t like or don’t understand, we must not close our ears or our heart. Don’t get stubborn and say, “I can’t help myself God and so you just have to pick up the pieces. I am not going to change. You are wrong, God.” We don’t have to rewrite Scripture to suit our beliefs. We need to come to God and have that conversation about what is going on in our hearts. We need God in order to keep His commandments. Just like with our rector in seminary, many of us flee God. We stay sort of close because we want others to think we are good, but we are scared that God is trying to condemn us when actually He is trying to save us. Yes, that is right: the words of the Gospel and Scripture are not condemning words but saving words. That is right: I said that the words of Scripture are saving words. Only when we read them in light of our relationship with Him will we understand their life-giving properties. God is ready to show us and to dialogue with us. One of the most striking stories I have heard was from a testimony of a fellow actively living the gay lifestyle. He said that when he came to God he had not left the lifestyle; he just wasn’t able to at that time. But God loved him and showed him love and he eventually did leave it. The joy this man had on his face was indescribable. He had met God in His weakness and found a God that loved him first. God did not tell him, “Behave then you can belong,” but rather, “Belong and I will teach you how to behave and how there is greater joy in behaving and following my law.” You see the Bible is written for us. The verses we don’t like are the ones we need and we need to ask God what they mean and how we can follow. You will be surprised. If you think a verse is for someone else, it is for you for sure. These are the words of life. God gives them so we can have life and to the full. Do not be scared of the Scriptures; they bring freedom. Talk to the God who made them so you, too, can understand the great plan, joy and salvation that He has for all of us.