Dear Rose Park,
From my desk, the view out of my window is quite narrow; due to the windows being a bit higher and my desk sitting at an angle a majority of my view are the tops of trees and the sky. However, if I were to get up from my desk and stand next to the window, I can see the full beauty of the trees, the birds flying in the sky, a few cars driving down Rose Park Drive, and a few dog-walkers making their way through the neighborhood. When we stand at a distance our view can be quite narrow, but when we come closer our view grows. This truth not only applies to our personal relationships but also our relationship with the Word of God.
When we stand at a distance with scripture, our view of God’s Word can be quite narrow or at the very least obscured. For example, at a distance we can see the Law of God and assume that God is a domineering figure with little love towards creation, let alone people. Similarly, at a distance we can read stories of Jesus and assume He was just a nice man who helped out in His community and spoke of a Spirit who is supposed to help His followers also help their communities. When we keep the story of God at a distance, we get a very small and narrow vision of who God is and what God is calling us to be.
But when we come close to scripture, sticking our noses in the pages of God’s Word and the story of His people, we set our eyes on the grand vista of scripture. We see a vast and expansive story involving God’s tremendous grace displayed through His Word, His tremendous love embodied in His Son Jesus, and His tremendous faithfulness come to fruition through His Spirit. Perhaps this is one aspect of what author and theologian C.S Lewis meant when he repeated the phrase, “further up and further in” throughout his well known Chronicles of Narnia.
When we’re close to scripture we aren’t limited to a narrow view of God’s faithfulness or a narrow experience of God’s love; instead, we are invited further up and further in with our relationship with God. We are appropriately placed to view the God who deeply loves His people and we are in view of the God who deeply loves us. This is all to say, if you’re standing at a distance from scripture and squinting in order to make out a few verses here and a few stories there let me encourage you to stand closer. Come closer to scripture and move further up and further in with God in order to get a much better view of how God invites us to participate in His vast and expansive Kingdom.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark
Photo by Rajarshi Bhadra on Unsplash