(a Steve Orr Lectionary reflection)
I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.
—Gelett Burgess
I grew up hearing my Dad quote that poem. Even as a small child, a purple cow seemed unlikely. Later, I heard of another unlikely cow. The tale goes something like this: Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas—candidates for the same U.S. Senate seat—were debating. At one point, Lincoln thought Douglas was intentionally misinterpreting Lincoln's words so he could win over the audience.
Lincoln asked Douglas, "How many legs has a cow?"
Douglas replied, "Four, of course.”
Lincoln agreed, and then asked, "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?"
Douglas replied, "Why, five, of course.”
"Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
Fact or fiction, the story makes a valid point. Just because someone says something is so doesn't necessarily make it so. Likewise, just because someone claims to be quoting from the Bible doesn't mean they are. And, even if they are honestly attempting to quote scripture, it doesn’t mean that they are doing so accurately. Finally, even if someone is accurately quoting scripture, it doesn't mean that they are applying it correctly.
That brings us to in this week’s Psalm 91 passage. Satan quoted verses 11 and 12 of Psalm 91 while tempting Jesus in the wilderness (Mark 4:5-7).
The next time someone throws scripture at you, particularly if they’re trying to get you to do what they want, pause a moment and recall Satan's misuse of Psalm 91. Sadly, people do twist the words of others to their own purpose. If that happens, we must react wisely.
Remember Lincoln's cow.
_________________________
Comments