Yesterday I did a first. I utilized services of The Geek Squad, an electronics troubleshooting service provided by one of our big super centers. “I need you to perform a five-minute miracle on my laptop.” So I greeted the young man somewhat cheerfully, “Help me find a blog which disappeared on me a day ago just as I finished writing, editing, and about to press Publish. It was so good, can’t bear the thought of losing that one.” With a smile and corona protocol he wiped his working area, I planted my problem before him and he began the obviously routine search and rescue procedure. About three minutes in he indicates that my Blogger, not being web-based, does not contain the history in my computer. Two minutes later he asks if I’m okay with him writing an email to Google on my behalf (thank you, I couldn’t have explained the technics) requesting if they might retrieve from ‘somewhere.’ One minute later the email is sent. Still in confident professional manner, this young man probably noting the disappointment on my face, speaks apologetically, almost like a medical doctor having delivered bad news. Even as I thank him for this service, he sanitizes my device (something I hadn’t done for months so I depart with a cleaner laptop than when I came in). He wishes me well, “Maybe the new blog you write will be even better.”
Hmm, now my thinker kicks in (again). This techy guy actually had some interest in what I was about. Just reading a few before and after titles he probably caught the gist of the one that went away. His comment is not lost on me as I think more about that. The title of the lost blog was “Halal in my Freezer." I had written it complete with some references from the Quran as well as from the Bible. It was about some halal meat gifted to those of us who would willingly receive it from one of the Muslim participants in a neighborhood Zoom scripture study I had joined about fifteen months ago. I know a goodly number of my readers would have enjoyed reading it, and also some would have skipped over it after reading the title because they do not like me getting too fascinated by ‘other religions.' [Me, I just smile at this. This has always been part and parcel of my Christian faith for as long as I can remember, seeing no contest with my faith in Jesus. This is essential thinking especially for today’s younger generation as we are all in changing neighborhoods and a repopulating world that will be their future].
So who has the Word of God for us these days? Although I am critical of the high tech IT industry profiting from the digital addiction all around, I will not disqualify this employee at the Geek counter who was relational to customers lining up before him with their problems. By doing his job in a pleasant personable manner he may well be a mouthpiece of God on a certain occasion, not necessarily all occasions. At the moment I am reading a novel, this one about the adventures and misadventures of the “Saints” (Latter Day Saints) caravaning westward both to escape persecution in eastern U.S. and on toward their holy land (Utah). This question comes up pointedly from a ten year-old girl quizzing one of their brave young men, “Aunt Sophie said that Brigham Young is God’s mouthpiece. Words flow right out of God’s heart into his mouth.” (Diane Noble, The Veil, 1998). Really? 😔😕 I have a problem with this Mormon presumption and some of my fellow Christians of the fundamentalist persuasion even more problem with it. However, fundamentalists almost similarly believe the Bible has come about by a divine dictation. 2 Timothy 3:16 almost suggests it, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. This Timothy passage, however, is not about dictation; but about the inspiration and usefulness of scripture. Interestingly, Muslims also believe their Quran was by divine dictation to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), although what it means for the people requires lots of interpretation from their imams and scholars and resultant ummah variations not at all unlike all the Christian denominations and representative theologians competing for credibility (tenure?) these days.
When I get thinking about that question - Who has the Word of God? - and the
possibility of a Word like from a computer technician, I am reminded of Jesus
‘in session’ with all the people, and some children were making some squirmy
distractive noises, Jesus said to them, “Let the
little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” And how about the teachings
from the elders, much better practiced in Indigenous communities than in our churches. The young, the old, the farmers, the truckers, the geeks, the birds of the air all
possible messengers of God. Glad I am to be a simple Mennonite still (Sigh, where two or three are gathered there am I with them ..(Matthew 18:20).
So, thinking still about the closing benediction from that Geek, I cannot but lament the lost blogpost. Maybe there was a divine reason why it needed to get purged! God's communication is certainly more than words or even thoughts. Yup, another verse from the good old Bible. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans (Romans 8:26). I have a South Sudanese friend who regularly reminds me that God communicates with us “in God’s way.”
True, true all of this. I may still ask my son in a day or two, when he is not busy re-sodding his back yard, where that blog may have disappeared to. If he can find it I will be even more surprised at God’s awesome ways! 😂
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