Tell Us Plainly

John 10:22-30; Psalm 23

        I was in a Barnes and Nobles a few weeks ago. Book stores are comfort food for me. I like to walk down the aisles, visiting old friends, and then venturing out to experience a writer I have heard of but never embraced. Barnes and Nobles have those great chairs where you can sit and taste before deciding if you want to pay the price of entering someone else’s world. I admit I buy most of my books from on-line used book stores, but I still enjoy the non-virtual experience.       

A line of books that has rapidly increased in popularity over the past few years is a collection of awkward sized yellow paperbacks that offer hope to those like myself who suffer from limited intelligence in particular areas.  I assume you are familiar with this collection.  It began in the 1990’s with Crosswords for Dummies. The book gave simple lessons in how to master the crossword puzzle in your local newspaper. This was followed with Chess for Dummies. It was such a success the company ventured into SAT’s, foreign languages, household task, and almost anything and everything imaginable. Since my proficiency is limited to the three B’s, Bible, Baseball and Blasphemy, I found the Dummies Collection strangely charming. Notice I used the past tense. My infatuation with their adventure ended when they published The Bible for Dummies.

In my thirty two years of ordination, I think the request I hear most often concerning the Biblical text is, “Tell me plainly. Tell me what the Bible means so I can understand it. Don’t confuse me with metaphors. Just simply lay it out. Let me know what I am supposed to believe and I will take it from there.”

Regardless what anyone has told you, the Bible is not for Dummies. It is not something you get by osmosis. It is not something that is easily understandable and it is certainly not a book written exclusively for children. It is an adult read, with adult themes. It is complex and frustrating, written in a primitive culture that had no concept that the earth was round, women were human beings, and pork was healthy. But the Bible never claimed to know anything about science or food processing.  It is a multifaceted work centering on God’s divine revelation and how those revelations continue to impact and shape those of us who are part of God’s creation.

        In our gospel text, Jesus is confronted by a group of religious leaders. They have listened intently as Jesus described himself as the good shepherd. This metaphorical language, this speaking in images, prompts the listeners to challenge Jesus. “If you are the Messiah, spit it out. Use plain language. Talk so we can understand you.” As Jesus knew and as many of you knows, the problem of talking plainly about God is that the revelations of God are anything but plain. When a person begins speaking with unequivocal certainty about God, I take this as a sure sign that the person hasn’t got a clue. One speaks with certainty about that which ones mind can grasp.  To claim to fully understand God does nothing more than to expose one’s limited imagination. On the other hand, the Bible invites us to experience and participate in rich stories with multiple meanings. The Bible is not a series of coded messages that are meant to be cracked.  It is filled with metaphors and allegories which take us into the elusive mysteries of faith.

        Who is God? Do you remember the story of Moses in the wilderness? The poor guy had been out in the desert for years tending sheep. One day he came across a bush apparently being consumed by fire. As Moses got closer to the bush he noticed the most remarkable thing. The bush was burning but it remained intact. Moses took a swig of water, wiped his eyes and assumed the heat was playing tricks on his mind. Courageously, he took a closer look and that is when the bush began to speak. Eventually, in the course of this conversation between bush and man, Moses discovered he was hearing the voice of God. Feeling he had nothing to lose Moses frantically asked, “Who are you? Tell me your name?”

        The bush replied, “I am who I am.”

Can you imagine what happened when Moses returned home and sat down with the family for dinner? In the midst of the normal family conversations Moses was asked, “So, anything interesting happen to you today?”

How do you rationally grasp, “I am who I am?” What kind of clarification would The Bible for Dummies give? Frankly, I could care less. It is not my job to grasp God, but rather surrender to the belief that God is in the business of grasping me.

Perhaps the most familiar metaphor of God is found in the 23^rd Psalm which begins, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Does that representation of God really work for us today? Think about it. If God is the Shepherd, then I must be the sheep. That thought does not exactly excite me. Having lived in West Texas, I have been around sheep. With the possible exception of turkeys, sheep must be the dumbest animals in all creation. Sheep seemingly begin each day with one objective, to get lost.  If there is a hole in the fence, they are through it. If there is a steep ravine, they stumble down it. If there is a bog, they get stuck in it. Once lost, they make very little effort to escape their predicament. They wait, hoping the shepherd will drag them back to safety. Do you, as a member of the human race feel comfortable with this association?

If thinking of humans as sheep is a bit demeaning imagine what God must think when assigned the title of Shepherd. And yet, at the time, perhaps it was the best analogy the psalmist could imagine. The term “shepherd” was a rich and complex notion in Israel’s culture. The shepherd pastured the flock, led them in the right way, fended off predators, and was responsible for their welfare and safety. In the ancient Middle East the role of shepherd was also used to describe a king. The kings of Israel were judged by their ability to guide and protect the nation. To say, “The Lord is my shepherd” invokes both theological and political images. It speaks to what God has done and therefore what the king is supposed to do. The statement is a confession. It declares commitment and trust. The psalm entrusts the guidance and protection of life to the one whose name is the Lord.   

Who do we trust? Where do we dare place our faith? The tragedy experienced in Boston this week mirrors the tragedies all over the world any day of any week. Do we really believe the Lord is our Shepherd? Do we actually lack for nothing? A literal reading of the Psalm quickly disintegrates when it encounters the complexities of our modern world. And yet, as metaphor, the Psalm displays an image of God through which our hearts evoke memories and our souls dream of new possibilities.

One of my teachers, James Mays, claims the language of the 23^rd Psalm is Israel’s testimony to its salvation history.

During the forty years in the wilderness Israel lacked for nothing. God restored the life of the exiles and lead them in paths of righteousness. When they were hungry God prepared a feast. When they were thirsty, water sprang forth from the rocks. In the presence of their enemies, God was with them and this God, this “I Am Who I Am”, led them to the land of promise where they dwelled the rest of their lives.

This Psalm was etched on the heart of each generation that emerged from the wilderness. This memory was transformed into a belief that the Shepherd of the wilderness could also be the Shepherd of each high-way and bi-way that intersects our lives. This is the One who restores our souls. This is the One who leads us toward righteousness. This is the One who accompanies us through danger. This is the One who spreads a Holy Supper before us. This is the One who pursues us with love and grace our entire life. This is the One we cling to in death as the perception of “I shall not want” is fully revealed.   (Stop)

This poem, memorized by many of us as children is also the poem most often heard around the grave. As our loved ones grasped for their last breath, we grasp for the assurance that God’s abode is forever. We celebrate that God is life. We trust that God has defeated death. We pray that the One called, “I am”, will shepherd us through life and death. This is no conversation for dummies.  It is a life long journey in which we dare to confront our frailty and God’s grace.