tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post3253518605937044388..comments2024-03-17T22:48:00.427+08:00Comments on Reflections and Ruminations: Have you ever heard yourself say “I don’t like the God of the Old Testament”? This blog is for you.Fr Luke Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-87116442255437885992018-03-12T16:37:52.728+08:002018-03-12T16:37:52.728+08:00-“read Scripture from a birds’ eye view and see Sc...-“read Scripture from a birds’ eye view and see Scripture as a collection of many books, written by particular individuals who were inspired by God. Each had a particular encounter with God and each encounter needs to be seen as God revealing himself slowly and progressively.” <br /><br />Thank you Father! - I cannot agree with this more......but the “Book of Life” is not an easy read and firm but gentle guidance is indeed a prerequisite if one takes on this venture. <br /><br />In my school days, the teachers of Catechism seemed to be at great pains to make sure- we, their young charges, were schooled thoroughly in this imagery of a God of thunder and brimstone. How we trembled when castigated for inattentive-ness by stories of being turned into pillar of salt like Lot’s Wife. So these stories of a wrathful and punishing God were the norm - is it any wonder that it puts one off -getting to know more about this angry God? What is worse- as parents we inevitably perpetuate the same dark myth to our children - unless we are re-catechized. In that “un-enlightened” era even some Sunday homilists would sometimes use this form of preaching to cow or on their “cowering” flock.<br /><br />So it is a step in the right direction when blogs like yours help to clear up such fallacies or rather the mis-conceived idea of a wrathful God. Of course, bible study courses in the parishes help but not everyone has the privilege of time on their hands to do so. <br /><br />Another truth you pointed out (in the above quote) refers to the fact about each individual writer’s God-encounter and how his narrative enables God to reveal himself “slowly and progressively.” I remember how my foraging into the prophets and psalms - (for I have a weakness for poetry & poetic-prose) - won for me a gem in Ezekiel 16:6 onwards - where the God of the Old Testament allowed his great love and compassion for Israel ( substitute for self) to let himself feel hurt and betrayal . It was a water-shed moment for me - from thence to pursue the search of this God who is LOVE itself in the Scriptures.<br /><br />God bless you, Father<br /><br />TessaTessanoreply@blogger.com