Can-Jam and the innerrancy of scripture

There is a game that is very familiar to the Buffalo, NY area known as "Can-Jam". "Can-Jam" is a game invented in Buffalo where a frisbee is thrown back and forth between two plastic cans and the object is to either get the frisbee through a small rectangle in the front of the can or hit the can and/or get the frisbee close enough so that your partner can 'jam' the frisbee into or at the can. It is a very simple but addictive game.

It was through the combination of playing this game (more specifically in retelling the amazing tale of how a particular game of "Can Jam" was won) and a sermon that my pastor gave this past Sunday that I came to a new understanding of what some would call "discrepancies" in scripture especially when it comes to the differing numbers that seem to conflict when two different accounts of the same story are given.

But first let me tale you an amazing tale. On Saturday, a few families were invited over to one of our church family's house to enjoy a great afternoon at their pool. While at this party, the game "Can-Jam" was brought out and the competive spirit quickly manifested itself. Initially, several games were played with several different variations of teams in a round robin type format. With each game, the teams changed players and this went on until dinner was served. But after dinner, four true "Can Jam" loyalists came back for more.

So there we were, myself and Jerry (who is also my pastor) on a team and Brett and Derek (for the protection of their delicate self esteem I'll withold their last names) on a team. The games started out somewhat casual but then a fire of competitive fury broke out that would cause us to play twelve games of "Can Jam" in succession trading leads and refusing to end on a loss. After realizing that we could go on all night, we decided that whoever got to seven wins first would be the winner for the night.

As we began the seventh and final game, it did not look good for Jerry and I. We had lost our dominant form and Derek and Brett quickly took off to a quick and seemingly insurmountable lead of 15 - 6. Because of the nature of "Can Jam" scoring, it would be impossible for Jerry and I to come back unless one of us put a frisbee through the very small rectangle in the front of the can...but that is exactly what Jerry did. Right when it seemed as if there was no hope to come back, Jerry in all of his superior clutchness, put one through the rectangle and won the final game making he and I the "Can Jam" champions for the night.

Here's whats interesting about all of this. In retelling the story, I really don't know if the score was 15 - 6, or 13 - 6, or 18 - 7. I really don't. But is that the point? The point of the whole story is that when the game of "Can Jam" seemed hopeless, Jerry came through on a clutch throw and won the game. Regardless of whether I'm exactly right or not on the score, we were definitely loosing badly. We needed the nearly impossible to happen at that exact time and it did. Would it be wise to totally throw out my whole "Can Jam" story because I couldn't remember the exact score? Does that make that the whole story of Jerry's clutch throw to save the game untrue? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing Jerry's clutch throw to anything miraculous because two other players got it through the rectangle (I being one of them) that same night. What would be wrong is to miss the thrill of a great story because you're so caught up in how impossible, numerically speaking, that the situation was.

I think so many times, the Bible is approached with a filter that is not appropriate for the Bible. In the sermon that Jerry gave on Sunday he talked about the abuse of using the scientific method or a similar approach to critique a book that is by no means meant to be scientific. In many of the biblical cases where the numbers seem to conflict, you can miss the point entirely if you think that the numbers are the point. The point is always God coming through in a situation that seems or is absolutely impossible. The point is that God intervenes on behalf of His people at the very moment when all seems lost and saves the day. The point is God. How tragic it is to be so busy keeping score that you totally miss the point.

Shoes Off

Shoes have an implication of transition and travel. Even my oldest son understood the transitory nature of shoes when he was only two. I had popped my head through through the door into his bedroom to see what he was up to. At the time, I was a new father and ,by nature, a very distracted guy and I was not real good at the whole "daddy" thing yet ( and I still haven't arrived). I was just wanting to check in on him and was probably also trying to relieve a guilty conscience because I hadn't spent a lot of time with him that day. But my little Braden called my bluff. "Daddy, take your shoes off! Sit down and play with me." I can't effectively communicate how those words sounded coming out of a two year olds mouth but in all of their infinite cuteness they struck me with the force of a cuddly sledge hammer. I knew what my boy was saying. He was telling me that a "fly by visit" was not enough and as long as I had my shoes on, I wasn't there to stay. My initial response was to go to my room and weep because he had ripped my heart out with his tender request but instead I did exactly what he asked. I took my shoes off and sat down and played with my son for a long time.

As I have thought about my sons precious words, I think he was speaking a great truth about the time we spend in all of our relationships including our relationship with God. So many times I find my self "popping in" to say hello to God and to relieve a guilty conscience for not having spent more time with Him and during the short time that I am there, I have my "shoes on" as I am thinking about all of the things that I have to do or places I have to be. As a father, I wonder how I would feel if my son treated his time with me the same way that I had treated my time with Him?

I know that God is God but He is also a father who has made himself vulnerable to His children.  In Exodus, God tells Moses to take his shoes off at the burning bush...I wonder if the modern translation of God's words to Moses might sound something like this... "Son, because I'm here, You are in a holy place and a holy moment. Won't you take your shoes off and stay a while? I want to be with you"..