I Love Almost All The Bible

I love the Bible. My walk with the Lord has changed profoundly since I began reading scripture every morning. I don’t always understand it, but I’ve learned to treasure the mystery of God’s mind. To know that there are some things about scripture that won’t be settled here on earth, and once we go home the questions might not seem as important.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say I love almost all the Bible. Some parts make me cringe. Like when God supposedly orders the Jews to commit genocide in Canaan. (Seriously? The Father of Jesus commands genocide?) Or when Paul pontificates on the role of women in the church. Could a boat 100 yards long actually hold two of every creature on earth along with enough food and water to keep them alive for months? Does my cringing make me a bad Christian?

In the context of a book containing over 31000 verses, the number of verses that make me cringe is quite small, at most a few hundred. And upon reflection, it’s often man’s interpretation of those verses that make me cringe. Theologians, God bless their pointy little hearts, have been a mixed bag ever since someone decided we need theologians. They can’t agree on anything, they’ve caused way more schism than unity, and they make prononcements with a certainty that belies the infinite and mysterious nature of the God they claim to understand.

But this I do know. When I read scripture, patiently, repeatedly, I change for the better. When I read the Bible without condition, without the need to know anything for certain, my spirit is soothed.  When I read the words of Jesus in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I feel peaceful and unafraid, certain that my God has my best interests at heart.