Fragments of Light.

After Jesus' death the disciples interpreted the scriptures and the signs.
This was an inferior interpretation.

During his life Jesus was constantly telling the disciples that they had misunderstood him.

After his death they continued to misunderstand.

Paul saw only "in a mirror dimly"  1 Corinthians 13:12a (NRSV)

These are the fragments of light which the Kabbalah speaks of.

But we must filter out the fragments of light from the darkness that surrounds them.

This is what Progressive Christianity does.

It filters out the light from the darkness in the scriptures by studying the cultural and historical context of each passage.

The Old Testament God of punishment and wrath is projected by the prophets from their understanding of earthly authority, i.e. tyrants and kings.
This is darkness.

The God of love and mercy which Jonah saw is the light.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]