110206 Context, Context, Context

If you've ever tried to buy or sell a house, you've probably heard the most popular mantra in real estate: "Location, location, location." It simply means that identical houses can increase or decrease in value due to their physical location. It's the number one rule in real estate, and it's often the most overlooked. The same sort of thing could be said about our efforts to interpret the Bible: "Location, location, location." Or, another way of putting it is: "Context, context, context." Edwin Crozier illustrates the principle by sharing the opening paragraph of a book entitled Murder at Cory Mansion. A few minutes of stillness lingered at the Cory Mansion, when the night sounds were shattered by a woman's scream and an infant's cry. A few minutes later, as the clock in the hall struck 2:30, a man carrying a black leather handbag slipped quickly from the house, glanced up and down the street, and walked briskly away through the early morning mist. What happened?