Repairing Damage Done By Those Who Used Scripture Against You

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

On Sunday as we thought about what it meant to for scripture to be God-breathed, it ended up looking very different than the dusty old systematic, workmanlike (gendered language intentional) theology many of us grew up with in our faith. Breath isn’t something we tend to work real hard at, after all. Stop and think about it - how hard did you work at your last breath - didn’t it come pretty naturally? And isn’t the image of wind blowing over us one not of command and control but of mystery and wonder? So what does that say about how God speaks scripture into existence?

And the ‘useful’ in the 2 Timothy passage above is sometimes translated ‘beneficial,’ as in ‘provides the necessary nutrients to benefit the ecosystem for growth.’ Again, this doesn’t have to be a rigid image of the Bible as ULTIMATE AUTHORITY, yada yada yada.

This passage has been one of the pillars of teaching used to shore up a strong system that has wounded many. But perhaps on a second reading, there’s some real beauty and wonder in it.

So today, what if you just took a few deep breaths and just let you mind be at peace, allowing the Spirit to guide you along to wherever you might need some encouragement, strength or wisdom for this day. And let that be enough.