Article November 15, 2010 ISSUE

Bible-based community in church

BY BLAKE SCHMIDT

I GREW UP HEARING BIBLE STORIES at home and in Sunday School, and loved the practical lessons and spiritual nourishment contained in them. But I didn't really begin to understand the challenges faced and the triumphs accomplished by those extraordinary characters until I took two classes on the Bible in college. The more I learned about the culture, geography, religion, and politics of those times, the more I appreciated the stories behind the stories that I'd heard and read since I was a child.

My religion courses, coupled with majors in world perspectives and mass communication, helped open my eyes to the impact of the Bible in today's world. In the ten years since college, I have traveled, studied, worked, and lived in nearly 20 countries. These experiences have been unique, challenging, and rewarding. While I have yet to visit Israel or Egypt or Iraq or other Biblical lands, my overseas experiences have given me a broader perspective on the diversity of people, environments, and opportunities in the world.