In my morning time apart I have been reading from Marcus J. Borg. “Reading the Bible Again For the First Time.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/reading-the-bible-again-for-the-first-time/id360609758. The sub-title of the section is “The Gospels as Thematic Constructions”.
I think I highlighted about half on everything I read this morning. Maybe quote captures the meaning of all of it for me, though I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of his explanation.
“The way of Jesus is thus not a set of beliefs about Jesus. That we ever thought it was is strange, when one thinks about it—as if one entered new life by believing certain things to be true, or as if the only people who can be saved are those who know the word “Jesus.” Thinking that way virtually amounts to salvation by syllables. Rather, the way of Jesus is the way of death and resurrection—the path of transition and transformation from an old way of being to a new way of being.”
Amen, Amen, and Amen!
If I had had that quote a while back I am sure it would have showed up in both my writing and my teaching, and I am sure that it will in the future. Like a lot of what I am reading right now, it is very affirming, and it clarifies things that I have sensed intuitively.
For all of that I am very, very grateful.