(Today's post's begining was written during lunch at Planet Sushi, drafted in my agenda.)
Whatever thing is said, whatever text is written, there will always be a million interpretations to it, regardless of the intentions of whomever said them or wrote them originally. These interpretations can be opposite one to another, and even contrary to the message originally issued. Think about the way refusals are considered an answer not worthy of being taken seriously. If someone I like says "no" to me, that doesn't mean "no", it means "I'm playing hard to get, so I want you to keep pestering me until I say yes". Laws get also reinterpreted time and again to condemn the people we don't like, and save ourselves or those we like. But think of something as simple as a yellow light. For some drivers and pedestrians it means "slow down, red light is coming", but for others it means "hurry up, red light is coming!". For some it means "risky", but for others it means "heads up, avoid any risk".
Interpretations are particularly expense and large in variety when it comes to social norms and religion. On the exact same words and exact same text a group can condemn a person or celebrate it, and mankind has been making use of these interpretations to often validate their own agendas and lord over others.
Today I went to a Bible Class, where my grandpa was the day's expositor. The verses analyzed were in the Gospel of Luke 12:1-12. (I'm including a link for the passage, in case you'd like to check it out by yourself, and you either don't have a Bible or it is way too far for you to get up, get it and search the passage.) Shortly, this passage follows another where Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, basically trashing them for getting all wrapped up on irrelevant stuff, such as all the tons and tons of laws and social norms invented for the Jewish people which are supposed to be the guides for us to be pleasing in the eyes of God. You know, like those extremists and people far from reality, who thinks that God would hate all women who don't stay at home and have 20 babies and raise them, or that cutting your hair is a sin, or wearing spaghetti straps are a mark that you are in alliance with Satan. Yeah, we know the type, and sadly they exist today too.
Anyways, in this passage, Jesus speaks to the people and basically tell them four things: (1) don't be hypocritical as the Pharisees, (2) all secrets come to light and will be known by all, (3) don't fear the judgment of the men, but the judgment of God, and (4) if you deny God before men, then Jesus will deny you before God. My grandpa, just like my grandma (my grandpa being my mom's dad, and my grandma being my dad's mom), have kinda grown into the Pharisee state of his spiritual life, and from what I gather, loves to condemn people constantly. He actually has a fanclub composed by several older ladies from the church, who would rather burn in hell than to miss one of his speeches.
Anyway, he's interpretation of this passage was quite somber. In his view, Jesus had seen forward the fact that we would have satellite TV, and that the "hypocrisy of the Pharisees", or in other words "the false prophets" and the sins would come to us and would be broadcasted from the roofs. This served basically as a kick off point to whip everybody, calling us all sinners who should be casting out our hypocrisy, our thinking that we know or know better, our wise-ass attitude and return to God humbly, serve them in slavish servitude, live lives carbon copied from that of Jesus (the church approved version, of course, not the one where Jesus gives up on the family business, distances himself from the ruling church and then more masses to a new gospel, pinpointing the flaws and the corruption in the church, calling out their leaders and making them look bad before everybody. I mean, let's face it, if Jesus were here, today, born a man again, pulling his well known stunts, the church would outcast him again and call him a Pagan or maybe even a Satanist), and live under three principles: obey the Law (religious law), love and serve God humbly. He cross quoted to make his point, and quoted profusely from Paul, which surprises me, since when I debated his stiff view on religion and told him that the bible itself, in Paul, said that women should remain silent in church, and that nobody is interested in what women has to say, he condemned the possible role of women as priests, and yet he went to a church were women served as as priests; and to this he said that the Church has decided that all of Paul's writings are opinions, not laws.
He went on and on about how God would never, ever forgive us if we didn't stick to His rules, how we should make our lives a living testimony of this absolute, abject serving, not thinking for once that God is our friend - He is not, God is our LORD (oh fuck, and here I'm buddies with the Lord...) - and the tests he puts in our way are meant to hone us and teach us, and it's futile to ask God to help us, to lessen our burden because He won't, because He personally considers that His Mercy should be emough for us.
Now, I don't know you, but if all that's true, I'd like to give back my membership card and find myself some other god. I mean, wouldn't you? Why would you pray to a god who won't help you, but who is keeping a close eye at you to account each time you make a mistake or let a chance to be good pass by? I mean, shit, bad bosses are better than this type of god!
My grandpa's fanclub was quick to express their love and admiration, engrossing his words with humble questions upon key pious points, and then deciding that Satan is lurking behind every corner, that we are in danger, and from that they were quick to bitch about the fortune teller shows on national TV, and then how much damage superstition and all superstitious stories do to children.
Though I wasn't thinking about participating - it wouldn't have looked good if I laughed in their faces and told them to wake up and smell the coffee, because they are the new age Pharisees - but then I've got the feeling that I should never the less expose my position on the matter, with no (direct) attacking. My interpretation is as follows:
Parting from the previous part, in this passage I understand that Jesus is telling people to beware from the hypocritical attitude of the Pharisees, who put the accent of spirituality on the superficial signs and the social norms, that you shouldn't fear the judgment they pass on you for not falling into their narrow self accomodating definition of what a God-pleasing-person is, or what makes a good and just person, but hold yourself only to the judgment God passes over you, because there's no such thing as eternal secrets, and even in this life, among people, it's not the words and the superficiality what matters, but what's inside your heart, the truth of your soul, and if that denies God, you are denied as well, but if that acknowledges God (in any of His forms...) then you are acknowledged as well.
You don't have to know the Bible by heart, quote it profusely and fit every minute of your day to a verse, but all you have to do is be honest, connect with The Divine in any way you see Them, in any way They speak to you, and be honest about it, own to it. Don't be afraid because people around you might think that your views or religion are wrong, for if they are right for you, The Divine (through the Holy Spirit or any of Their names and ways) will find the way to your tonge and answer wisely to their accusations. You don't need to hide, you don't need to pretend to be saint when you are not, because eventually we will all know the truth about you, maybe not in so many words, but soon we will notice that you words are hollow and your intentions are phony.
It is my interpretation, but in it, instead of the castrating, enslaving, bitter destiny saw by my grandpa, I see a ray of freedom, shackles falling into the dust of the road, and an open call to fuck off all those human formalities and step into an honest, simple, organic connection with God... and own it.
... and I think God's freaking cool. ^_^
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