AS WE ARE ONE (24 OF 52)
Scripture: John 17:1-11
This content is part of a series.
As We Are One (24 of 52)
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
John 17:1-11
We've been there before. We've heard people talk all around an issue, use a lot of words, but never seem to get a point they are trying to make. We've heard others make the point, again and again, using different words and phrases, but simply restating the same thing over and over. We want to press the fast-forward button to hurry along the conversation. If only people came so equipped! At least if we are watching a recorded meeting, we can skip to the more interesting parts!
When we pick up a book or begin an article that seems to do that, we quickly put it down and move on to something else. We have better things to do with our time. I'd rather read an enchanting tale that is well-told, even if it does not progress rapidly through time than spend my moments going over the same repeated plays. When we pick up the Bible, we are on very familiar ground. There are only a few passages where we can press the fast-forward button without missing much of importance. We skip through the genealogies, we jump past the lists of families in the various tribes who made donations to the Tabernacle, and the like. For the most part, the pages are packed with tightly woven stories that give us a lot to consider and process.
The Biblical writers were working with expensive mediums for their craft. Writing materials were expensive, laborious to prepare, and hard to come by. When one took the time to write, it needed to be important. The text needed to be concise. A letter was an expensive project. To write a gospel required community support to underwrite the expense. Mark moves quickly from one story to the next, mincing his words and tightly packing the stories into a seamless narrative. Luke is a little more expansive, but he is still careful that every word selected has meaning and purpose. John's gospel is organized differently, but he also makes a careful selection of themed el ...
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
John 17:1-11
We've been there before. We've heard people talk all around an issue, use a lot of words, but never seem to get a point they are trying to make. We've heard others make the point, again and again, using different words and phrases, but simply restating the same thing over and over. We want to press the fast-forward button to hurry along the conversation. If only people came so equipped! At least if we are watching a recorded meeting, we can skip to the more interesting parts!
When we pick up a book or begin an article that seems to do that, we quickly put it down and move on to something else. We have better things to do with our time. I'd rather read an enchanting tale that is well-told, even if it does not progress rapidly through time than spend my moments going over the same repeated plays. When we pick up the Bible, we are on very familiar ground. There are only a few passages where we can press the fast-forward button without missing much of importance. We skip through the genealogies, we jump past the lists of families in the various tribes who made donations to the Tabernacle, and the like. For the most part, the pages are packed with tightly woven stories that give us a lot to consider and process.
The Biblical writers were working with expensive mediums for their craft. Writing materials were expensive, laborious to prepare, and hard to come by. When one took the time to write, it needed to be important. The text needed to be concise. A letter was an expensive project. To write a gospel required community support to underwrite the expense. Mark moves quickly from one story to the next, mincing his words and tightly packing the stories into a seamless narrative. Luke is a little more expansive, but he is still careful that every word selected has meaning and purpose. John's gospel is organized differently, but he also makes a careful selection of themed el ...
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