Dusting Off the Family Bible
“As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.”
Proverbs 26:11
Yes, that quote is really from the Bible.
I knew a popular Christian writer who used this verse when readers asked him to sign his books with a Bible verse! People likely smiled when he gave the book back, but might have been horrified when they looked it up. I think he did it partly to be a little rebellious. So many people would quote John 3:16 and similar popular passages that he wanted to remind his readers just how quirky and downright shocking the Bible really is.
Biblical literacy has plunged to new lows in recent years. My college biblical professors saw this firsthand. They said when they began teaching 40 years ago, there was a basic assumption that the undergrad students knew the general outline of the Bible and the main characters. Nowadays, they must assume that their students know nothing about the Bible…at a Christian college no less!
I am not trying to guilt anyone into reading the Bible. I’ve never found guilt to be a good motivator in my own life. Rather, I hope to inspire folks to discover the rich treasure trove that is Holy Scripture. It can be intimidating. After all, the Biblical world is very different from our own with strange names and faraway places, let alone the sheer size of the Bible. Yet, you may be surprised at what you find. In this book—which is a collection of many books—there is adventure, war, romance and even poetry, but all of it is one long love letter from God to His people. It portrays in vivid detail how human folly will not stop God from loving His creation.
So, if you don’t know where to begin, ask one of the Clergy; we’d love to help you crack open your Bible. Get a good study Bible that will give you some notes about the cultural context of passages. (I’ve got a few I can recommend.) And lastly, consider joining one of our Bible studies. The Biblical writers never dreamed their writings would be read by people by themselves. It was always supposed to be a collective experience.
And so, the real fool’s folly is not even trying.
