This came from a letter, addressed from Opa to Laurie and Evie, from whom automatically generated "friend requests" to join a circle of "friends" on the YouVersion Bible app had somehow found their way to Opa. This was his response.
Hi, you two!
I was notified by the 'You Version' Bible app that you sent me what they call a "friend request." Because it is you who started it, I feel immensely flattered. Thank you. I normally do not reply to such invitations, but—again—because of you, I make an exception.
Reading the holy book—and thinking about its contents, and our God, and his Son, and the Holy Spirit—and on the basis of private thinking, making even feeble efforts to live by it is one thing. Talking vociferously about it is another. In the reformed Christian world there are many approaches to being faithful. I was brought up in an environment where going to Church and dealing with matters of the faith was a somber affair, and one was taught to turn inward to work on one's friendship with God. In a family, going to church as a group, hardly a word is spoken. Very seldom a discussion on the subject was entertained. Little more often was a bible reference used to settle a question of behavior. This is, of corse, typical introversion. It is also indicative of a life style: you are responsible for your own ways, and I will take responsibility for mine, and differences shall not interfere with the relationship we have one with the other.
It goes way beyond religion. I find much of that attitude in the northern states, and the opposite—extraversion in many if not most of the southern states. But with such background as mine, one does not learn to express one's thoughts and feelings in a fluent way. Loudly, and even more 'longly' discoursing about one's faith is not given to us. We do hope, though, that our way of conducting our lives expresses in some little measure, the depth and the strength of our faith.
I am saying this much because it is you who posed the question, and I do wish that you do not feel personally rejected by my refusal to join the circle of your friends in that App. It has nothing to do with enmity, nor must it ever negatively reflect on my faith.
May the peace of the Lord be with you, always.
Opa
I was notified by the 'You Version' Bible app that you sent me what they call a "friend request." Because it is you who started it, I feel immensely flattered. Thank you. I normally do not reply to such invitations, but—again—because of you, I make an exception.
Reading the holy book—and thinking about its contents, and our God, and his Son, and the Holy Spirit—and on the basis of private thinking, making even feeble efforts to live by it is one thing. Talking vociferously about it is another. In the reformed Christian world there are many approaches to being faithful. I was brought up in an environment where going to Church and dealing with matters of the faith was a somber affair, and one was taught to turn inward to work on one's friendship with God. In a family, going to church as a group, hardly a word is spoken. Very seldom a discussion on the subject was entertained. Little more often was a bible reference used to settle a question of behavior. This is, of corse, typical introversion. It is also indicative of a life style: you are responsible for your own ways, and I will take responsibility for mine, and differences shall not interfere with the relationship we have one with the other.
It goes way beyond religion. I find much of that attitude in the northern states, and the opposite—extraversion in many if not most of the southern states. But with such background as mine, one does not learn to express one's thoughts and feelings in a fluent way. Loudly, and even more 'longly' discoursing about one's faith is not given to us. We do hope, though, that our way of conducting our lives expresses in some little measure, the depth and the strength of our faith.
I am saying this much because it is you who posed the question, and I do wish that you do not feel personally rejected by my refusal to join the circle of your friends in that App. It has nothing to do with enmity, nor must it ever negatively reflect on my faith.
May the peace of the Lord be with you, always.
Opa
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