On the Sanctity of Scripture

Since I gained the ability to think critically (whenever that was) I have struggled with the unholy words and deeds that I have heard and seen that stemmed from a so-called adherence to the Holy Bible. I have heard scripture quoted to attack others, to support judgment and exclusion, and even to justify outright evil. The abuse of scripture has reached the point that when people actually sit down to read the text they are surprised by the actual message and its beauty. For example, one of my professors recently shared with us the story of the birth of the Monty Python movie The Life of Brian, which is the story of the guy born in the stable next to Jesus. The writers originally wanted to create a film to make fun of Jesus. However, when they read the gospels for "material" they discovered that they liked Jesus. So they made a movie to make fun of his followers instead.

The saddest part of the situation today is that the people I have seen abuse the Bible the most have been those who believe most whole-heartedly in its authority and inerrancy. The purpose of this post is not to question that belief, but instead to question to attitude of those who subscribe to it towards what they consider holy.

The nature of holiness in scripture, especially in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), is dangerous. The presence of God was fearful and too awesome for humans to hope to survive. The ark of the covenant was deadly to those who touched it. Yet these days it seems that so many people are ready to snatch up the Bible and begin to proclaim that they have mastered it to the point that they have authority to make judgments and claims in God's name.

I would think that when dealing with something that is holy we would approach with more fear and trembling, realizing the gravity of scripture and being more careful that we do not twist and pervert it to our own ends.

Almighty Father, guide us as we explore your word. Teach us to be transformed by it and not to use it as simply a tool or a weapon. Grant us the humility to admit that we are imperfect as are our interpretations and translations. Help us to embody your love and grace as we deal with the Bible and with the world. Amen.

Blessings,
Matt