Scripture as a Tool for Living

Scripture is one way we engage the deep questions of life, but it is not the only way. Creation came first. The natural world speaks to us constantly if we are willing to pay attention. Human conscience also has always been a reliable guide. Written scripture arrived later, shaped by culture, context, and the limits of its authors. Still, there is wisdom in those texts. Scripture is one of the tools we have to understand the right way to live. We approach them with seriousness, not as rulebooks, but as stories that invite reflection and growth. Not everything in scripture is admirable. Some of it reveals what to avoid. But when scripture aligns with love, justice, and humility, it becomes useful. It becomes something we can wrestle with honestly, for the sake of becoming more human.

May we use scripture wisely,
as one of many guides that lead us toward
a life of love, justice, and integrity.

(inspired by Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Randy Woodley, and Brian McLaren, Expanding Our Understanding of Scripture)