Dear Friends,
What questions do you ask when you read the Bible? Some people ask: “why am I bothering?” Others ask: “What is it saying to me?” Still others ask: “What difference does this make to my life?”
I’ve realised recently that I spend a lot of time asking: “What does the bible say?” That, and some of the questions above, are good questions to ask. But I’ve come across more recently other questions which are helping me see more of what’s in the bible than I’ve seen before, and to get to know God better than before. Let me share two of them with you…
The first is “how does the Bible say it?” Whenever we talk to people we always pay attention to the tone of our words as much as to the words themselves. If someone is sad we speak comfortingly, if someone is in danger we speak with warning. God does so with infinitely more wisdom. Listening to the tone of the bible will shape the way I share God’s Word with others, and the tone with which I speak to others.
The other question is “who is the Bible speaking to?” One thing you notice as you listen to Jesus is that he speaks very differently to a burdened terrified mum than he does to a proud religious leader. Jesus is always aware of people’s situations and struggles. Asking this question will help me get to know God better in his compassion, challenge and humility. And, hopefully, help me (and you!) get to know others better and be more like God towards them.
Yours in Christ, Paul