The author of Hebrews makes a profound spiritual point in saying that, "the word of God is living and active." (4.12) The Bible has both the power to educate and to transform the soul. It not only says something to us but, if we listen in the right way, it does something in us. This requires the willingness on our part to listen carefully to the voices that speak to us out of its pages. We may not always initially understand or even agree with what we hear but in the process we will be effected in the very depths of our being.
The purpose of Scripture is not primarly to tell us what to think but to empower us to think for ourselves. It has the potential to liberate us from the tyranny of dead tradition to the experience of a living connection with the divine source of life. The ultimate goal of the word of God is stated in Hebrews 8.11, "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." The individual can have direct contact with God. Unfortunately the Church and its teachings, and even the Bible itself, often come between the individual and God. We are often content to accept what others tell us about God rather than involving ourselves in the difficult yet rewarding task of engaging God directly. The knowledge of God is not something that can be given to us by someone else. It cannot be sculpted in stone, fixed into a formula or contained in a unchanging creed. The Word of God is both "living and active" which ultimately makes it elusive. It is not like a mathematical equation in which the answer is always the same. It is more like a personal relationship that grows and deepens over time.
If You're Not Living on the Edge You're Taking Up Too Much Space
