The Great Chasm

Luke 16:19-31

Our church is in the first month of a new study series. The purpose of this study series is to explore the many questions we have about our faith. The people within the study groups are encouraged to look beyond the literal interpretations of the bible, as well as the teachings of the early and more recent church, to discover what the truths within Christianity are to them as individuals.

It's been an interesting first month.

As we work through the material, we're challenged with the ideas that the bible is errant. We were shown that there are 2 creation stories in the bible. We were made aware that the flood story attributed to Noah may have come from another ancient culture. It was pointed out that nowhere in the bible does it say God is all-powerful and that one of Christianity's original theologians coined that phrase.

In the last few weeks most of the people within the study group have found a sort of freedom, if you will, from the bondage of having to believe that every word in the bible is perfect. These people have made comments to the effect of, "It's good to know the bible isn't perfect because I've never been comfortable with questioning the errors I see." For these people there is a renewed spirit within them, a new reason to come to church and study group. These people have had their hearts and minds opened to hearing God speak to them.

As with every group, there are those who will stick to the beliefs they have learned, and that's okay. These people find comfort in their knowledge that the bible is inerrant, infallible, and without question. As we've said week after week in the study group, where each person is on their journey towards God is where they are. No one person is right or wrong in the eyes of the others because it's their personal relationship with God that really matters.

Then there are the in-between people. These are the ones who are listening, watching, and waiting until they are ready to make the realization of just where they are on their journey. It's these people who sit within the great chasm of which Jesus talks about in today's parable. Jesus notes that people will either live in comfort or agony in the afterlife, the choice is yours and dependent on how you live your life on earth. The people living in the afterlife of their choice are at polar opposites of a great division.

Those of us who haven't yet found our comfort in God's love, whatever this love looks like, have yet to make a choice as to which afterlife they would like to live in. My hope is that whatever path you choose you will be accepting of, and open to hearing, different ideas. As we also noted in our study groups it's those who refuse to listen that may have stopped hearing the voice of God speaking.

Don't get stuck in the chasm. Don't stop hearing God speak.