A Lesson from Ernest Hemingway

It is said that Ernest Hemingway, the master of word economy, was once challenged (or bet) to write a story with just six words. This is what he wrote- For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.

I think this is a marvelous response. So much is implied in these six words, yet little is disclosed. The reader is left to imagine, or speculate about the story behind the story. It is a masterful piece of writing.

With regard to God's word, though, we are not so free. If something isnt stated directly, we may imagine or interpolate, but we are not free to accept such speculations as truth.

For example, people speculate about the meaning of Joseph's many-colored coat. They guess at what Jesus wrote on the ground. These things are fine, I suppose, as long as one doesnt draw conclusions from them.

When the Bible speaks, it tells us everything we need to know. God is not forgetful. He doesnt accidentally omit some needed information for us to guess at. If He leaves something out, there is a reason. We must trust Him.

A thing I find interesting, is that our need to discover these answers illustrates that we are made in God's image. We have a natural curiosity that wants things explained - to understand the whole. It's why Hemingway's story is so brilliant. Drawing on his knowledge of our humanity, he crafted a mental image that would cause the reader to press the story further.

In Galatians, Paul seems to be doing something similar. After laying out his argument against adding anything to faity, he encourages us to press our faith, taking it beyond our current level to make it something that people will see and want to emulate.

Let's do that.