Living Words

I know that the Bible is a special kind of book, but I find it as seductive as any other.  If I am not careful, I can begin to mistake words on the page for the realities they describe.  I can begin to love the dried ink marks on the page more than I love the encounters that gave rise to them.  If I am not careful, I can decide that I am really much happier reading my Bible than I am entering into what God is doing in my own time and place, since shutting the book to go outside will involve the very great risk of taking part in stories that are still taking shape.  Neither I nor anyone else knows how these stories will turn out, since at this point they involve more blood than ink.  The whole purpose of the Bible, it seems to me, is to convince people to set the written word down in order to become living words in the world for God's sake.  For me, this willing conversion of ink back to blood is the full substance of faith.  --Barbara Brown Taylor, "Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith"

Barbara gives us plenty of food for thought here.  Can some people's obsession with the written word prevent them from being the living word?  I think so.  In the masterful first chapter of John, the gospel writer reminds us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...full of grace and truth [Jn 1:14]."  The Message's translation of this verse is brilliant: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood."  This verse reminds us that Jesus became Word enfleshed.  He "moved into the neighborhood" and we are called to do the same.  If we spend all of our time arguing with one another over the meaning of the Bible, we miss the point of the sacred text.  The text is supposed to come alive in our thoughts, words and deeds.  It is supposed to inspire us to become living signs of Christ's compassion, mercy and healing in the world.  

It is sometimes scary to be out in the world.  It can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous.  It's a lot safer to spend our time in the confines of the sacred text.  However, we cannot remain there.  God's Word should be a "lamp to our feet and a light to our path. [Ps 199:105]"  It's supposed to point the way and get us moving.  What is preventing you from being God's living word in the world this week?