The Word

Psalm 119:7-17

At my daughter’s college, there is a growing group of Bohemian Christians who engage in all sorts of activities, but with the addendum, “and then I’m spending time with the Word.” So, one hears statements such as, “I’m going rock climbing, then I’m getting in the Word,” or “I’m going to go float a canoe, but I’m going to do some Word, too.” 

I admire their recognition that any activity can be a spiritual exercise and that one can spend time with the Bible anywhere, even while hanging from a rope on a cliff face. 

And there are certainly activities a whole lot worse college students can do, too, than “doing some Word.”

In fact, for some of us older types with a lot less facial hair--shoot, a lot less HAIR in general--than these collegians, we might take the hint from our younger travelers that the Word is meant to be delved into in far more contexts than simply on Sunday morning at worship or in a church school class. The Word is there to be read. 

We are a faith “of the Book,” i.e., our faith is informed first and foremost by a formative narrative that reveals to us the relationship between God and creation, and between God and us within that created order. In that narrative, we discover who and what we are--the crown of creation (Ps. 8), but one that is free to make horrendous choices that end in momentous consequences (Gn. 3ff.); but who forever remain the object of God’s love (e.g., Hosea 11). We find out what God does for us and in spite of us--the Exodus, e.g., that sets the tone for the Gospel--God redeems. We discover that God is good and grace abounds, and that God is so because God is love. We find how we are to live the faith--”Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 13:34-35). We find what faith is--God does not require strict adherence to dogma, doctrine, or commandment, nor does God spend God’s time mooning over our wondrous worship, no what God wants is kindness, justice, and a humble walk with the Lord (Micah 6:8). All of these lessons are in the book--the Word written that reveals the Word made flesh (Christ [Jn. 1:1-5]). 

However, we often find that our time with the Word is limited or--sadly--nonexistent. The Bible may fly through mail from Amazon.com at record pace every day, but owning a Bible and reading it, apparently, are two very different things. Even if we do engage in reading it, we do so selectively. We have our favorite parts (1 Cor. 13), but we also have whole sections we abhor (Leviticus and Deuteronomy come to mind). We will often fill in the blanks, placing things in scripture that aren’t there (“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is not in there), or amending what is to suit our ends (“Ask and it shall be given to you” has a whole lot more to do with redeeming grace than redeeming lottery tickets). Spending real, focused time with the Word can help us guard against these practices. It can be eye-opening--if not eye-popping--to see what Jesus actually said and did in his ministry. It can be revelatory to hear Paul on Paul’s own terms. It can be comforting to find the real and actual people--warts and all--of the Old Testament. 

But to do this practice, we need the fervor of our young disciples. They exude the fresh energy of the newly awakened. Sitting on a rock high in the Georgia mountains with a Bible just seems great to them. They actually find the study of scripture FUN--imagine that! We need to reacquaint ourselves with the old, old story, if we hope it to be our theme in glory, as the hymn sings. 

Almost everyone I know has not one Bible, but a batch scattered around the house. Open one. Sit and read. Do some Word. 

You might enjoy it!