Experiencing God

Your image of God creates you. Richard Rohr

Scripture has the ability to move us toward transformation of both the self and history. The challenge is that we often prefer to tackle the text, rather than allowing the text to shape and form us.

As Richard Rohr writes: The low level substitute for this true personal transformation is to settle for automatic and magical "transactions" (do this, don't do that, believe this, practice a certain ritual in this exact way, belong to the right group, etc.). This has allowed untransformed people to think they are much farther along the path than they really are because they perform the right "transactions."

In other words, deep understanding of Scripture cannot happen until you have also experienced God actively and lovingly working in your own life! Then it all begins to make sense. Without experiencing God, Scripture interpretation is often lethal and egocentric, and it becomes false power instead of the vulnerable powerlessness we need to know God.

To further your study:

Read Matthew 14
Study the image of God and Man from the Sistine Chapel.
Study of the crucifixion image of Grunewald above Karl Barth's desk.
Study the Chagal image of God as Trinity.
Study the Rembrandt painting Return of the Prodigal Son.
The paintings of Daniel Bonnell.