Unsettled Christianity

Remember this post from earlier today? It involves a company selling bibles specially printed with your name inserted into thousands of verses. So, I thought I’d try my hand at it.

1.2 May Joel kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For Joel’s love is better than wine.
3 “Joel’s oils have a pleasing fragrance,
His name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love Joel.
4 “Draw me after Joel and let us run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”
“We will rejoice in Joel and be glad;
We will extol Joel’s love more than wine.
Rightly do they love Joel.”
5 “I am black but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.

And…

1.12 While Joel was at his table,
My perfume gave forth its fragrance.
13 “Joel is to me a pouch of myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
14 “Joel is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
In the vineyards of Engedi.”
15 “ How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are Joel!
Your eyes are like doves.”
16 “, How handsome you are, Joel,
And so pleasant!
Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!
17 “The beams of our houses are cedars,
Our rafters, cypresses.

And…

2.3 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is Joel among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And Joel’s fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 “Joel has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.
5 “Sustain me with raisin cakes,
Refresh me with apples,
Because I am lovesick.
6 “Let Joel’s left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

I know what it is like to hear God speak. I am not a Christian. I am not even sure what I mean, speaking for myself, by the word “God.” But for 10 years I have been doing anthropological research among the sort of evangelical Christians who experience God as interacting with them. They believe that prayer is a conversation in which they talk to God and God talks back. They will say that God “told” them to do something—to talk to the stranger next to them on the bus, or move to Los Angeles. To other Christians, this can seem incomprehensible, even dangerous.

via We Talk with God: What Evangelical Christians Hear – The Daily Beast.

Over all, it is an interesting conversational piece. Say… if a non-believer can hear God, what does that mean.