I have been raised in the Church all my life. From the littlest of age, I have always had the Scriptures near me. Whether it be a picture Bible for babies or a Bible for children or a teen study Bible or an "adult" Bible, Scripture has always been around me.As I sit here in my office typing this, I have 5 Bibles to the left of me on my desk (ESV, NLT, NIV, The Message, TNIV). To the right of me on the book shelves boasts another 8 Bibles, each in their own translation and emphasis on Scripture.
Growing up my parents always taught me to spend time reading God's word. I can't say I was always faithful to that teaching. Sometimes the Bible seemed so out of touch and foreign that it didn't appear relevant to anything much less my life. My youth ministers and teachers tried to reinforce the practice of reading Scripture. How do you grow to love reading scripture when the world you are reading about is stuck in the past? Where is the connection today?
I went off to college to study to become a youth pastor/minister. My first class I took was
Hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible). The class was steeped in rational thought and that all can interpret the Bible the same if they are "truly open to God." Even in a class of 30 where that was being taught, I bet not a one of us read and interpreted the Bible the same. We took our Greek classes to the learn the original language. We learned how to take a word and dissect it to the core and get at the original meaning of the word and by getting at the original meaning we would have the meaning for us today. I learned command, example, necessary inference and silence (even though that one was not taught verbally). Those were the rules of interpreting Scripture.I left those classes with renewed vigor to dive deeply in to the Holy Writ and let the Spirit of God change me. But, again even though the intent is good, I left Scripture wanting more.
A transition has been happening over the past 6 years. I still value diving into the Word and looking at the original languages. When I have the time to really look at the cultural values and historical settings of the authors and recipients, I cherish it.
Recently I have been approaching Scripture differently. A friend of mine, a couple of years ago, introduced me to the practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading). The practice approaches Scripture with the intent on letting the Spirit of God speak through the passage. You are not trying to prove anything or let your presuppositions ruin an interpretation. You simply let the passage speak. The more I practice this type of reading (some would call it devotional), Scripture has been transformed into a living and vibrant Story that continues today.
Saint Jerome would write:
"In the field of Scripture multicolored flowers, ready for the picking, are to be found everywhere. Every species is present there, red roses, white lilies and flowers of every color: there is an embarrassment of riches. It remains for us but to collect the flowers which seem to us the most beautiful. And if we gather up roses we should not be unhappy that we have not picked lilies; and if we have gathered lilies, we are not disdaining the humble violets. All is beautiful and fascinating in the sweet land of promise to generous souls who have agreed to labor a little among the holy books."
Scripture truly has become a vibrant field of flowers to be enjoyed and savored! The world that was so out dated and foreign has transformed into a story that I am actively a part of. My life takes meaning and identity from the Story of God in Scripture. That meaning and identity gives me the part I am to play in God's story.Thank you mom and dad for encouraging me to read the Scripture. Thank professors and mentors for providing new ways. Thank you Spirit of God for developing a love of reading the Words of Life in all their wondrous and magnificent colors.
How has the love of reading Scripture changed your life?
