I know a lot of people out there do not take the Bible seriously. They don’t. I heard Bill Maher trying to let this guy talk about the Bible as a real book. Mr. Maher has already decided it isn’t. But he lets people who do believe it try to convince him (which I totally respect). And then there’s the Woody Harrelsons of the world. I read this thing (on social media, so you know, it may or may not be true) that he did all this reading, but then the Bible just seemed too man-made, so he gave up on it. And then there are all the church people. They say they do, but we’re all pretty much masters of saying-one-thing-and-doing-anything-we-actually-want. Or maybe that’s just me.
But here’s the thing. Whether you think the Bible is inspired (“God-breathed”) or just another hoax made up by some people to control and subjugate other people, I really do think it’s the real deal. Here’s why.
1. Because I’ve actually read it. I think a lot of people who dismiss it don’t actually read it. Or they read it ignorantly, instead of thoughtfully. They try to read it like one long multi-chapter book. But it isn’t. It’s an encyclopedia of 66 separate books with different authors and audiences and purposes and literary types. And if you don’t read a text well, you can never see it for what it is. (At least, that’s what they taught me in my English program at college.)
2. Because it says the opposite of what we want it to. Now, church people are really, really good (and by “church people” of course, I mean “me”) at making the Bible sound like what we want it to sound like. But it really isn’t what I want it to be. I don’t want to love as God loved me. Sometimes, I don’t even want to acknowledge that God loves me. But He does. And loving others as He loves me…that’s hard. It means I have to do hard things, impossible things. Which is, of course, the point.
3. Because it can only work if it isn’t a human book at all. The stuff the Bible asks of me cannot be done. CANNOT BE DONE. Not without something bigger and more loving and more holy than me running the show. And that’s a pretty big problem because I really prefer to run my own show–even though that pretty much never goes well for me (or for the people around me). The Bible isn’t a lovely book of morals or fables. They are commands that can only work if a supernatural “other” is always in play in our world.
4. Because I’ve met Him. I believe the Bible, honestly, because I’ve met Jesus. Oh, I’ve studied the Bible as literature, and it’s fascinating. I’ve read the Bible as a to-do list, and I can assure you it’s a great tool for self-penance. But when Jesus speaks through the Bible, when its words really do come alive (as it claims for itself), it’s hard to ignore. And He has shown up in those pages. And through those pages, He’s shown up in my life.
And that’s why I take the Bible seriously. Because of Jesus.
