Jordan Chamblee recently wrote an article discussing how the Bible is not a “safe space” for Christians. But on the other hand, professing Christians are not necessarily a “safe space” for the Bible.
Indifference
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference,” Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once said.
Scripture has been hunted, burned, and banned throughout its history. Even today, copies are being piled up and burned as a public statement against Christianity and Jesus. This is currently happening in ISIS-controlled territories and countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Americans, even professing Christians, do not hate the Bible, but they are indifferent to it. Almost 90% of American homes have a Bible, but only 16% of adults read a Bible every day.
There are two types of responses to this. The first is think, “At least I’m not alone. I can’t remember the last time I read the Bible alone.” The other response is, “I missed a day last week, so I wouldn’t be included in that 16%.”
The question is not whether you open Scripture during a 24-hour period, but do you have a desire to? Do you want what the Bible offers, an understanding of who God is?
Let me finish the quote from Wiesel, “The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
With so many demands on our time, it is easy to skip reading the Bible. Some demands are external to our desire. We have to work, eat, sleep, etc. But there are internal demands on our time as well. We want to have time with our families and read good books. We want to watch something on Netflix. None of these are bad, but how do we prioritize them in relation to our time with God?
But by being more interested and passionate toward the offerings of this world, be they morally neutral such as entertainment or politics or morally good such as family and service, we are sending a message to the world. We are telling them the Bible is good, but these things are better.
Carelessness
I went to a small public school growing up. We had textbooks that were older than us students; some were printed 30 years before we received them. They were bent, torn, and obviously abused by their previous owners. I can’t say we treated them any better.
But I have a letter my wife wrote me several years ago in a drawer next to my desk. I have read and reread it hundreds of times over the years but it looks nearly identical to the day she gave it to me. The creases are worn and the white has dulled, but it has been cared for.
Often we approach the Bible as a textbook, a place to receive facts or instruction. That colors the way we read it, only looking for a truth or a fact that will help our current situation or solve today's problem. It is as though we believe life is an open-book test and the Bible is the answer book.
In reality, it is the personal revelation of our Creator. It is an invitation to know Him have a relationship with Him. It is deserving of careful and attentive reading.
To see this in action, look no further than the way Philippians 4:13 is used today. Seeing it on an athletic t-shirt appears to say God is promising to give you super strength. Not only does this misapply that verse, it completely misses the Person Paul is drawing his readers’ hearts toward.
I’m not saying we should not have Scripture on shirts or mugs, but I am saying to be careful of fully understanding a text of Scripture and not interpreting it outside of its context.
Disregard
We can consistently and carefully read Scripture every day of our lives, but still tell the world it doesn’t really matter to us. If we read the Bible and it makes no differences in our lives, if we leave what we read unapplied, then we have committed the worst travesty of all.
We are sending the message that Scripture and the God revealed in it, are weak and not worth the effort of living a holy life.
We do not seek righteous living as a way of gaining favor with God or earning our salvation. However, we do so because the God of the Bible loved us first while we were still sinners.
I mentioned the love letter from my wife earlier. Whenever I read it, I usually come home with some small thing for her such as flowers or candy. I don’t do that to earn brownie points or to get her to do something for me. I do it because of what she has already done, for the love she has already shown.
When we come to the Bible, we must allow it to change us from the inside out. Getting to know the God of the Bible will make us desire to live lives reflective of Him. Our drive will not be in hoping He will do something for us, but to bring honor and glory to His name.
When we publicly proclaim we are Christians, we are telling the world we belong to a faith rooted in Scripture. The way we read it, understand it, and apply it sends a message. The only question left is: What message are you sending?
