The eCrozier

“The Bible can shed a lot of light on commentaries.” – Johnny Cash
(from the Introduction to his novel, Man in White, about the life of the Apostle Paul, which, yes, he did write, and, yes, I highly recommend)

As Holy Week approaches, those of us who will drag (sometimes that’s necessary, human nature being human nature) ourselves to church for the daily liturgy will hear a lot of the Holy Bible read. By my count from Palm Sunday to the Easter Vigil, a devoted participant in the Church’s Holy Week liturgies will hear over forty separate readings from the Holy Scriptures. Of course, just on a garden-variety Sunday, we regularly have four scriptures read or sung. That’s a lot of scripture each Sunday in the Church’s life, but in Holy Week, we’re literally marinated in the Good Book for the entire week. So, I offer this immersion guide for all enthusiastic participants in Holy Week who will be bathed in the Bible next week.

First, I’ll offer a personal disclosure about where I’m coming from when it comes to understanding the Bible. It’s like the fine print at the bottom of the page where all the caveats, exceptions, and stipulations are listed, except here I’m putting it right up front. So, here goes: I believe everything in and every word of the Bible is completely true. Let me explain that by referring to an exchange occurring in Episode 12 of Season Six of The West Wing. In the episode, Toby Zeigler, who is the White House’s Communications Director, is speaking to a U.S. Senator outside of the Senate’s chambers. The Senator asks: “Toby, do you believe the Bible to be literally true? Toby answers him: “Yes, sir. But I don’t think either of us is smart enough to understand it.” Perfect response. We should always approach the Bible with humility and never assume we, or anyone else, is smart enough to understand it completely. I’m wary of people who are absolutely certain their particular interpretation of the Bible is the only correct way to read it. My advice is to avoid those people. You can’t have an honest and open conversation with them.

Second, as we hear the Bible read to us in church this Hoy Week, we should not only be humble, but we should be open to what new thing we will hear from the Holy Spirit. Those of us who have read the Bible from cover to cover and heard it read for decades in church might see a passage listed in the bulletin that day and conclude inwardly: “I’ve heard it a hundred times. I know what it means.” And then we permit ourselves to tune out. I invite you this Holy Week, as you hear the many Bible passages read, to come to your listening without assumptions. Be open to what the Holy Spirit will say to you. When I discipline myself to follow such a practice, I’m always surprised by something new and different I hear, as if I’m hearing that passage for the very first time.

Last, since the entire purpose of the Bible (in my arrogant, biased opinion) is to disclose the nature and purpose of God’s merciful love for the world, feel free to hold that premise in your hip pocket as you hear the Scriptures read. Then ask yourself, how is God’s Great Narrative of Redemption revealed in the passage I just heard? When we look for signs of that narrative in each reading, we’ll find it. Funny how that works.

+Scott