The Bible Is Best When Read

Today’s reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

A lot of my friends are excited about the television mini-series known as The Bible that is airing on The History Channel these days. I have seen parts of the show, and I am having the same thoughts I often have when I see motion picture adaptations of great books. The TV  version is not nearly as good as the book.

I remember my very wise 11th grade English teacher cautioning us students against relying upon movie versions of the books she had assigned for the class.

“Those movies are always someone else’s interpretation of the book. So, really, it’s not the book at all. If you just read one great book and then compare it to a film version, you will understand what I am talking about. The power of a great piece of literature is not the story but the affect that story has on a reader. When you hear the story second-hand, you are diluting that affect, and it often gets diluted for too much.”

I recalled Ms. Peterson’s lesson as I watch the first installment of  the History Channel’s version of The Bible. Wow, I thought. They skipped the story of Joseph entirely! How can you tell the story of Abraham or even of the Jews without even mentioning Joseph? (And I say he deserves far more than a mention!) I envisioned hoards of viewers (many of them my good friends) naively excited about this series, thankful that they would no longer have to wade through confusing written passages to understand God’s word, praying that this would be the spark that finally delivers them from a miserable life amidst a dysfunctional, abusive family.

Then I realized that those people might never realize that, by relying upon The History Channel’s interpretation of The Bible, they missed an inspirational story about a leader who survived a tortuous time amidst maybe the most dysfunctional, abusive family in history. Our modern world has much to learn from Joseph, and I find it disappointing that The History Channel would leave him out of its production.

But, then, The History Channel is not necessarily to blame. The Bible is a LONG book, and any adaptation will certainly require selective editing. Joseph’s story, I see, is far from all that has been omitted in this case. That’s just the way this sort of thing works. It’s what Ms. Peterson warned us about.

So I nominate today’s reading as, perhaps, the most important for Bible beginners to read. (And something tells me it does not end up as part of the History Channel’s version.)

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”(Verses 16-17)

It took me more than 40 years to overcome my stubbornness and finally make Bible study a daily habit. As I read this great book each day I am surprised at how often I remember particular passages being quoted and commented upon by the various “self-help” books I’ve studied over the years. It turns out The Bible is the first, and best, self-help book ever written. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get right to The Source.

But, alas, I am glad to finally be here.

Thanks be to God for The Bible.