Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 11:18-21; Mark 16:19-20

"You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth." Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Once again the call to remember the words of God and to teach them to the next generation.

As I continue to wrestle with and processed it all day yesterday and now confronted with it again today, I am struck by something. What is it that most of us teach our children? We teach them our interpretations of the words. Most of what we put on offer is our theology, our doctrine, our thoughts about the words.

Why don’t we simply offer them the words of God?

What are we afraid of?

I think we might be afraid that our kids will come to different conclusions about the words. Could it be that we are afraid that the words might lead to love more than we do? Could they embrace grace, mercy, and compassion to a depth that we are afraid to go?

As I think back through the unfolding story of the divine in the Scriptures there is a trajectory, a story arc, toward deeper and more radical love. A grace and a mercy that abounds, that is lavished on humanity. In our guts we know this to be true. Too often, if we are honest with ourselves we don’t like it. There is just something wonderful about having enemies. But, when all becomes grace and mercy the enemies dissipate into the mist.

I needed these reminders this week. These reminders of the words of the divine. The reminder that the words outweigh my interpretation. The words can so often speak for themselves and I can rest in that.