Word Girl
If you had asked me in my youth, and even in more recent years, what the significance of the Bible was, your question would have been met with a blank stare. On a more confrontational day it would have been followed by my hostile rant that it was nothing more than an ancient piece of literature authored by men for close-minded misogynists, written in an archaic language that only served to exclude me and others like me. I'd decided it was even less relevant than the phone book it sat next to in those random hotel end tables. It was as important to me as any other decorative prop. It was easy to say these things about a book I'd never read, had only a passing acquaintance and barely understood.
As a Christian, my answer is very different. Before I came to faith, I valued the Bible less than an empty notebook. As I started to read, however, it began to take shape, filling out and moving with the breath of life. What started as a "less than" began to take hold of me through the characters that were embroiled in intrigue, mystery, hope, love, hate, fear, anguish and joy. I began to care about these faceless names. As I studied, these characters became people in a movie that would carry me through the highs and lows of their lives. I would want to shout out warnings, knowing what was ahead and wanting them desperately to make another choice. I would celebrate their triumphs and weep for their despair. The Bible became my destination for grand adventures and cautionary tales. Nature and super-nature collided. It was where the ordinary were destined for extra-ordinary living and those who believed themselves to be "less than" became the leaders of nations. Women were beloved daughters, significant and heroic. This movie began to take dimension, where I could look into their homes, see what they saw, and travel with them, their lives just beyond my reach. As I go deeper into my studies, I feel I can step INTO the scene, that I know these people, that they are part of my faith family and as we do LIFE together, I accumulate dust on my sandled feet. Even beyond that, these people have become a part of me, reflecting the different aspects of my humanity, from the ugliness of my failures to my most noble aspirations. Yes, I have a very different view of the Bible today.
These days, I have more than one Bible. One has seen the beginning of my walk in faith (Max Lucado's NCV), another carried me through the passing of my dad (NIV) and a third brought us through a long season of unemployment (NLT). They are all in different translations and each one has uniquely expressed the ancient texts while capturing the essence of their intent. Each one reflects a part of me and my walk with God. I have recently gone back to the one I had with my dad. For a while there, I needed to trade it in so I could heal separately from my memories leading up to his passing but once again, it has become a source of great joy.
I write in my Bible. Many people believe it to be too sacred to write in but I find it to be a source of interaction. Every time I make a note about a verse's intellectual importance or spiritual significance, I feel that I'm preparing it for my future self and my daughter's eyes. It is marked with our family's history, what we have endured and how God has blessed our challenges. I hope my Bible is a reflection of the relentless faith I have in God. Of course, my daughter will come to her own conclusions and have her own life stories to overlay onto the words in its pages but I hope through my copy, she will see a legacy of hope and redemption, of endless love and answered prayers. In my darkest hours, I have fallen asleep with the Bible clutched against my chest the same way I did as a child with my favorite stuffed animal. It is my tangible proof that there is something greater than my circumstance and it's kept me from going under in dark times.
You will find whatever you're looking for in this book. If you seek comfort, you can rest in its pages. There is a hero for those who need saving. It is a life line for people at the end of their rope. Just don't miss the POINT of the Bible, whether it be by your own political agenda and hurts or because it was shrunk down to bullet points and sound bites. There will always be those who use it as a weapon to destroy and others who will hold it up as an excuse, through worldly religions or philosophies, to exclude. I know because I have been among them. It was never meant for a select few to benefit, but to spread the good news of love and LIFE for ALL. Yes, I have a very different view of the Bible today.
As a Christian, my answer is very different. Before I came to faith, I valued the Bible less than an empty notebook. As I started to read, however, it began to take shape, filling out and moving with the breath of life. What started as a "less than" began to take hold of me through the characters that were embroiled in intrigue, mystery, hope, love, hate, fear, anguish and joy. I began to care about these faceless names. As I studied, these characters became people in a movie that would carry me through the highs and lows of their lives. I would want to shout out warnings, knowing what was ahead and wanting them desperately to make another choice. I would celebrate their triumphs and weep for their despair. The Bible became my destination for grand adventures and cautionary tales. Nature and super-nature collided. It was where the ordinary were destined for extra-ordinary living and those who believed themselves to be "less than" became the leaders of nations. Women were beloved daughters, significant and heroic. This movie began to take dimension, where I could look into their homes, see what they saw, and travel with them, their lives just beyond my reach. As I go deeper into my studies, I feel I can step INTO the scene, that I know these people, that they are part of my faith family and as we do LIFE together, I accumulate dust on my sandled feet. Even beyond that, these people have become a part of me, reflecting the different aspects of my humanity, from the ugliness of my failures to my most noble aspirations. Yes, I have a very different view of the Bible today.
These days, I have more than one Bible. One has seen the beginning of my walk in faith (Max Lucado's NCV), another carried me through the passing of my dad (NIV) and a third brought us through a long season of unemployment (NLT). They are all in different translations and each one has uniquely expressed the ancient texts while capturing the essence of their intent. Each one reflects a part of me and my walk with God. I have recently gone back to the one I had with my dad. For a while there, I needed to trade it in so I could heal separately from my memories leading up to his passing but once again, it has become a source of great joy.
I write in my Bible. Many people believe it to be too sacred to write in but I find it to be a source of interaction. Every time I make a note about a verse's intellectual importance or spiritual significance, I feel that I'm preparing it for my future self and my daughter's eyes. It is marked with our family's history, what we have endured and how God has blessed our challenges. I hope my Bible is a reflection of the relentless faith I have in God. Of course, my daughter will come to her own conclusions and have her own life stories to overlay onto the words in its pages but I hope through my copy, she will see a legacy of hope and redemption, of endless love and answered prayers. In my darkest hours, I have fallen asleep with the Bible clutched against my chest the same way I did as a child with my favorite stuffed animal. It is my tangible proof that there is something greater than my circumstance and it's kept me from going under in dark times.
You will find whatever you're looking for in this book. If you seek comfort, you can rest in its pages. There is a hero for those who need saving. It is a life line for people at the end of their rope. Just don't miss the POINT of the Bible, whether it be by your own political agenda and hurts or because it was shrunk down to bullet points and sound bites. There will always be those who use it as a weapon to destroy and others who will hold it up as an excuse, through worldly religions or philosophies, to exclude. I know because I have been among them. It was never meant for a select few to benefit, but to spread the good news of love and LIFE for ALL. Yes, I have a very different view of the Bible today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Studio 3:33 - "Let the Waters Rise" - August 29, 2010
Comments
Post a Comment