Gravity Commons Podcast Zach Lambert: Better Ways to Read the Bible
8 snips
Dec 9, 2025 
Zach Lambert, the lead pastor and founder of Restore Austin, dives into transformative ways to read the Bible. He discusses the harmful interpretations that have marginalized communities and shares insights from his book, emphasizing healing over judgment. Zach introduces four healing lenses for scripture that prioritize compassion and context. He shares powerful stories of individuals moving from anger to healing and urges readers to engage with scripture in diverse, humble communities. This conversation is a thoughtful exploration of reclaiming the Bible's life-giving message.
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A Practical Lenses Framework
- Zach Lambert created a compact framework of lenses to help people re-read scripture more healingly.
- He synthesized decades of study and pastoral work into four harmful and four healthy lenses for lay use.
Harmful Lenses Defined
- The four harmful lenses are literalism, apocalypse, moralism, and hierarchy.
- These lenses can grant divine credence to oppressive practices when used unchecked.
Kicked Out For Asking Questions
- Zach recounts being kicked out of his youth group in seventh grade for asking questions about Scripture.
- That early marginalization led him to notice larger patterns of exclusion across race, gender, and sexuality.