The difference between light and dark can be tricky when it comes to religion. For many, shadow and nuance are integral to our understandings of faith, life, and love. If it were easy, there would be little need for interpreting scripture and dogma would reign supreme. Black and white would represent the sole choices in our pursuit of knowledge of The Divine.

Literalism has been described by author/theologian Harvey Cox as revenge of the evangelicals. Its seeming simplicity is fraught with contradiction as adherents place their claim on knowing truth. When someone says “The Word could not be more plain,” what they are really saying is “I have already decided to view scripture at face value because to do otherwise is too much work.” The shades of light and dark are challenging and frequently frustrating. The rewards of setting aside black and white religion becomes more evident with each individual question asked or interpretation sought. Light begins to transcend dark.

The usual course of discovery includes uncertainty, startling revelation, and even a sense of irritation that so many of our faith traditions have remained under a heavy coat of dust for generations. Grace and light and hope is recoverable when we allow ourselves to query and dig deeper. The very recent discovery of new fragments of Dead Sea scrolls is yet another confirmation of the fluidity of belief. One set of texts has been determined to be a copy of previously discovered writings, yet they are not identical to one another. Where does that lead us regarding claims of inerrancy? These and many similar questions take us to uncomfortable places, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be part of the broader discussions!

The literal divide is present in many congregations and denominations. It is disturbing how often it is used as a reason to disagree with one another so that one side or another gets its own way. How curious to imagine grown-ups embracing such an unproductive approach. What messages are we assigning to our children? That God prevails as long as you declare your particular truth to the exclusion of all others? That patriarchal religious authority is the only game in town? That entire classes of people can be excluded from the love of God based on nothing more than genetics or the color of their skin or who they love?

Shades of gray inhabit the universe of religious understanding, though many believe otherwise. To point out the inadequacies of people in their relationship to God, to deny them inherent worthiness, is a failing the church must encounter face-to-face. To do anything less is unworthy of who we are as we attempt to reflect God’s grace for the benefit of others. We have a choice whether we see black and white or whether there is room for all to find their place between the opposite pole positions we proclaim.

Let us evoke moments of awareness this week in which we consider the interplay of light and dark and shadow that is before us in everyday life, and may we discover God’s Word in more places than the temple of our own declarations.