The Pope, at the beginning of June, 2019, commented on the change to the Lord's prayer being suggested by the French. They had concluded that the wording used in the Lord's prayer is incorrect and so it will be updated to reflect the correct theological context. The wording will say, "Do not let us fall into temptation" rather than "lead us not into temptation." They reference Bible passages like James 1:13-14 and elsewhere that say that God does not do the tempting. Our pastor, however, noted that this change seems to relegate God to some "Cosmic Spotter" who is standing by to catch us if we happen to stumble. Going a bit farther with that analogy, I thought about my one co-worker who has worked in the past as a personal work-out trainer. Certainly, in that role, he did stand beside the person lifting the weights to catch them if they fell and prevent the trainee from being hurt. But relegating him to only that position, really denigrates his role in that person's life. He was the one setting the path for the person and leading them in their training efforts. He was not primarily there to "keep them from falling."
If I am 30 feet up the side of a rock wall climb, I am certainly happy to know that there is an interested trainer belaying me on a safety line. But if I am up there in the first place, it is not to enjoy the feeling of being belayed. It is to strengthen my ability to withstand the perils that accompany scaling that wall. As our pastor correctly noted, this passage in the Lord's prayer is more directly connected to leading us on paths of righteousness rather than protecting us from falling.
Even so, don't expect to find me dangling from some rock wall anytime soon! I have never suffered from the temptation to achieve on that growth path in life!
No comments:
Post a Comment