As
Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond
the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord,
My
spirit pants for Thee, O living Word.
---Mary A. Lathbury, 1877
Seeking Christ beyond the page. Sounds exciting, real
detective-y stuff. But wait…we are “people of the Book”; how do we stay true to
Scripture, and still venture beyond the sacred page when our spirits seek to
know God more deeply?
Perhaps, first, we must know Christ in and through
the Scripture. We must
know the stories of Jesus preserved for us in the Gospels, the teachings of
Jesus in parable, and the example of kingdom living in his dealings with the
world around him. We must know the Jesus of the Bible, and we must teach Jesus
to our children. We must call that Jesus to remembrance in each other’s
presence in sacred story, in chilling chant and holy harmony.
But then, oh then…we are privileged to seek Jesus beyond the
page --- walking with us, bearing our burdens, urging us on toward maturity,
our friend and brother.
The Bread of Life, broken for you.
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