I always try to understand the meaning of the Bible Reading today. It is one of the readings from John 14:1-14 that does leave one with questions. Mostly I find the readings are complete in themselves; we just need to live the life that God wants us to live. John's Gospel can be the fierce side of the story and limiting. The other three Gospels are more inviting I think but the Concordance tells me that John's Gospel was written at a time when "absolute" loyalty was desired in order to continue the work of Jesus in establishing this new Church on earth. I always get the sense that the other three Gospels are continuing more than stress on the newness. Jesus was, to me, reinforcing God's love for mankind and that it was available for all who wished to be part. This reading limits rather than embraces all mankind and we must read it in its context of difficult times in the Church as it sought to exist and be there and follow the word of God as given to us through Jesus Christ. But there is only one God I do believe and He is the God of the Old and New Testament and can not be limited. He is not of this world and as people are brought to him through the centuries it may be different than the experience of the Christian Church (we also have other Religions that belong to God both before and after Jesus). God knows and sees all. So I do think we need to read this reading in the context of the history of the times and recognize that God is limitless; we, humans, can not limit God. But the New Commandments promised a better life for Homo sapiens on earth if we but follow them - love the Lord God with all our heart, soul and mind and our neighbour as ourself. As Christians we believe that Jesus brought these commandments to us as the Word revealed by God and that is the promise of Jesus to all if we but live those commandments although we may worship God in different ways around the world. But my knowledge of other than the Christian Church is rather limited to be sure and I may think that all religions have God as their head but they may name Him differently; no ideas on that.
Continuing with the Fourth Generation yesterday and I believe I am coming to an end but I wanted to sort through the Appendices that I created to see if there was material that should be put back into the book and I did find some. Hopefully the Fifth Generation will soon be in my work schedule. These are perhaps the most difficult of the generations. I believe James Sanders perhaps found that also to be the case.
Today I will post the Kipp Newsletter and clean. But in between I shall start looking at the new material (new to me) that I have from another researcher.
On to the day, it is a rainy one but we still need rain the ground was so very dry last fall.
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