So many people over the years have asked me why I read the Bible. Even my own children as they have grown older have asked me this question. My brother just asked me again the other day. And I guess it does seem odd. Why would I read a book - or really a collection of books - that were written over thousands of years, mainly chronicling the journey of a people (the Jews) to which I have no connection, climaxing in the birth, death, and resurrection of a man named Jesus who lived almost two thousand years ago? Why would I not only read these words each year but more importantly, try to pattern my life accordingly? Why would I commit my life to studying this book and teach others to do the same?
I think it has to do with intersections. When I read the Bible, I am reminded of how often the God of the universe intersects with human life. Now I know some will argue such intersections don't happen enough. Or that there is too much fear and pain and suffering that occurs when they do. Or that the world is still a mess so clearly these intersections make little if any difference. And I can understand that perspective. I readily admit I don't have any answers for such objections. I only know what I can know from my extremely limited human perspective and knowledge and experience.
Frankly, here is where I land. I tried to live my life the way so many people around me suggested. I did the things they said were valuable. I was the life of the party. I had a ton of friends. I lived casually and freely with little thought as to consequences or responsibilities. The result was depression. Despair. Heartache. Brokenness that I felt viscerally. I lived in a perpetual state of guilt and shame. Then I met Jesus. Not just the historical figure in a book but the man himself. No, he didn't come to me in a vision. It wasn't a dream. I actually didn't see him with my eyes or touch him with my hands. But as I read the Bible with a small group of guys - many of whom remain friends to this day - Jesus suddenly became very, very real to me. It dawned on me that this man was not just an interesting historical figure who taught some great things so long ago but God who literally was intersecting human life. My life. And if this man was God in the flesh, then it occurred to me that he might know the way out of the mess I was living in.
So began a journey that has lasted over twenty years now. Each year I read the Bible all the way through. Sometimes multiple times. I read about creation. I read about the formation of God's family. I read about the rescue - over and over again - of that family from danger and oppression and slavery. I read about God's justice and I read about God's love. I read about His anger at human sin and I read about His compassion in the face of our broken condition. I have a ton of questions. Doubts. Even fears. Faith is not the absence of these things. True faith boldly acknowledges that there will always be things that do not "make sense" from a human perspective. True faith accepts these things with eyes wide open. God's a big boy. He can handle it.
Here's what I discover and rediscover along the way. The more I turn my life over to God, the more I receive in return. Inexpressible joy. Peace that passes all understanding. Love that is deep and selfless. I still go through incredibly difficult times for sure. Believing in God is no panacea! But I no longer walk alone. Jesus is there as a companion and guide. He comforts. He confronts. He teaches. He encourages. He forces me to face my own shortcomings even as he strengthens me to change and move beyond them. My life will truly never be the same for knowing Jesus.
So I read the Bible. To remember. To remind myself of all that God has done for me. To remind myself of God's everlasting love for me. To remind myself that the work he has started in me, he will bring to completion. So let's read the Bible together. Let's encourage each other along the way. Ask the hard and honest questions. Deal with God on his terms and let him teach us his ways.