Holy Books

In the past I have had quite a love of Holy Books. I do appreciate that many will argue that the plural rather than the singular (i.e. books, not book) would be incorrect. They would seek to argue that there is just one Holy Book, inspired by just one God, and more, with just one correct interpretation. 

Take your pick

The problem with such a claim is simply that more than one group of believers make such a claim, yet each supporting the claims of different books, with each claiming their own interpretation is the only way. I observe that more often than not those who make such a claim have been born into the culture that gave birth to their book, which makes you think (if you are that way inclined)

Anyway, maybe enough. Who actually cares these days? The Bible may well be a perennial best seller yet who actually reads it? I have noted that the very simplest question concerning the Good Book often leaves people floundering as far as an answer is concerned! And more, in the USA I have seen that though a very large percentage claims to believe the Bible to be God's "word", many of these same people are also unable to answer the simplest questions concerning its contents. Which seems strange, at least to me. If I actually believed that a book had been inspired by a transcendent Being I would at least seek to open it occasionally to find out what "he" was trying to say. Then again, possibly many are happy to be told by others. Who knows?

As I said, once I was an ardent reader of Holy Books. Now, for me, the only "revelation" is Reality itself. I cannot help but seek to read it. Yet with my past, I cannot but help dredging up various words, verses and lessons from the various "holy" books I have dipped into in days of old. In doing so I love the parallels that I find. One dear to my own heart is the little verse from one of the Parables of the Kingdom from the Gospel of St Mark in the New Testament, which goes:- "for the earth brings forth fruits of herself". This has its echo, at least for me, in the Pure Land phrase that "things are made to become so of themselves, beyond our calculations". Both witness to trust, to faith, of letting go. If others wish to plot their path, so be it; if others wish to think the way ahead has been charted and prescribed in great detail in a particular book and fear slipping from such a straight and narrow way, so be it. I'm with St John of the Cross:- "If you wish to be sure of the road you tread on then close your eyes and walk in the dark". The Buddhists would say that we must stand upon the firm ground of emptiness!

Do apples "calculate" in order to grow?

But apart from such echoes, it is the world around me, this Universe, this Cosmos, that is for me the only revelation. To know it is to come to know ourselves. Maybe the smile of a child will have a greater message than, say, a dogs turd, but each moment has its time. We respond with empathy, with communion, with openness - or we close up in a tight ball, fearing the river of change.