in order to motivate their original audience. Whether as a preacher, a Sunday School teacher, or a parent, we do the same with Jesus’ teachings. That does not mean that we can force the parables into saying whatever we want, but according to Williamson, entails a serious responsibility: “The art of the interpreter is to follow the lead of scripture by taking up these stories in ever-new situations, allowing them the freedom to speak with fresh nuances while assuring continuity with their meaning in the canonical context.”21 I would now like to offer such an example from my own experience.
Alongside My Son
Growth Stories
My greatest hope is that, despite evidence to the contrary, God is present and active in human history; in response to this divine initiative, I strive to be like the good soil in my daily life, including the relationships with my family. And so, there are elements of both human effort and divine grace, as encouragement and exhortation are not necessarily contrasted but ideally harmonized. Apparent contradictions blur together, as parents inspire hope and offer advice, thereby imparting both confidence and admonition to their children.
Speaking in terms of my life, a typical workday ends when I walk in through the back door, feed the dog, and read books with my son until Ginny comes home from the gym. While Sam is sitting in my lap, babbling away and patting a bright illustration, I often wonder what he is learning. What seeds are being planted and what lessons will produce fruit later in his life? Will he learn to trust in God’s grace, even if a situation appears hopeless? Will he keep trying, even if the results are frustrating? Will he remember that seemingly small and even insignificant actions can actually mean everything to someone in need?
These questions can lead to healthy exhortation; however, if one is not careful, the desire to nurture a child can be more like an anxious farmer stressed over his crop. When we first brought Sam home, I would get up, still half asleep, and frantically search the covers for Sam, convinced that I had left him in the bed and was smothering him. Of course, he was in the bassinet, sleeping blissfully unaware of his dad’s anxiety. “False alarm,” Ginny would whisper exasperatedly, as she tugged me back in bed.
I don’t think of myself as a “worrywart” so much as I worry about each of Sam’s warts! Ginny has to counteract my anxiety about red bumps on Sam’s arms (“Those are mosquito bites, not tumors”), his excessive drool (“He’s teething and does not have a hereditary disease”) and that suspicious build-up in his ear (“Come on, Andrew, it’s just ear wax!”).
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
