Sometimes even the loyal disciples just could not understand Jesus' parables; sometimes thinking is hard; sometimes it takes hard work to discern the truth.
Jesus knew scripture, he knew the culture of the day and used that knowledge to communicate with the groups that challenged him.
Jesus was aware of the world around him and used images and illustrations from that world to teach God's love.
The Reformed tradition challenges us to ask hard questions and search deeply to understand what God is calling us to be and to do in each new generation. The relevant questions and answers may not be the same as those from previous generations, yet we build from the same foundation.
€What does it look like for us to love God, neighbor, and each other with
tenderness
passion
willfulness
integrity
creativity
imagination
analysis
understanding
courage
endurance
brawn
Love needs the mind
When I wake up, I find myself sitting in the world.
How do I connect with, deal with, the outside, the other?
Do I expect the world to explain itself to me?
Do I expect God to explain himself/herself to me?
"That's not my Job, man."
If I do, then whatever I hear I take to be the answer.
This is simple or harsh depending on where I happen to sit.
"Seek and you shall find."
Part of the human opportunity is to get up and sort things out, I find,
upon examination, there exist structure, pattern, and dynamic relationship.
The effort to examine, sort, notice, and map
‹requires the mind.
I discover that what is, contains love and grace.
To distill, reflect, and express these
‹requires the mind.
Though I speak. . . but have no love, I am nothing.
Love needs the mind to sort, reflect, and project grace and truth.