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‘An infectious love for the Scriptures’
National Bible Week is an ideal time to pause and reflect on how much the Bible means to us. A Sunday School teacher during my high school years had such an infectious love for the Scriptures that it sent me on a lifelong study that gets richer each year.
I particularly enjoy how much spiritual discernment there is to gain by understanding a little of the Bible’s history, geography, context, and cultural practices. In and of itself, these things wouldn’t mean much. As Mary Baker Eddy, who built her life on the Scriptures, commented: “Take away the spiritual signification of Scripture, and that compilation can do no more for mortals than can moonbeams to melt a river of ice” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 241).
But knowing a little background draws me into its deeper meaning. I want to study the Bible’s books, stories, poetry, and parables more—like a dear friend you want to spend more time getting to know. One insight that has been a significant lesson for both professional and personal reasons came from studying each of Paul’s seven authenticated letters (First Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, Galatians, First and Second Corinthians, Romans). Not only was he addressing a distinct issue in each, but he also spoke to his audiences differently, according to whatever the local needs were. This was a helpful example for me in my business career when I was frequently invited to address audiences from varying industries and backgrounds, as well as adapting ideas and language to friends and family members.
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