Kendall Smith, No-Div
Kendall is an elementary science teacher and an avid lover of books, nature, and long walks. She is easily distracted by thunderstorms and loves a good conversation over coffee.
There are some things I just wish weren’t in the Bible. (There, I said it.) Whether it’s the story of Abraham walking his only child up a mountain to offer him (literally) as a sacrifice, stories of Israelites killing off the people who lived in Canaan, the story of Lot’s daughters, or even some of Jesus’ hard teachings, there are definitely things in there that just bother me.
It’s hard to feel bothered by something in the Bible, isn’t it? It’s like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place: “This is the Word of God, it’s all good true…” versus “...how can I trust the God of the Bible if he acts this way? If the Bible is inspired and true, does this mean it is all God-approved?” And if you find yourself in a church or other faith community, that tension can feel even more difficult--the shame of wondering about the Bible and God, the feeling that you’re the only one...There isn’t an easy way to ask questions--I mean, who do you ask? How do you start that conversation? It’s just not something we usually talk about in church.
But maybe it should be.
There is plenty to wonder about and question in the Bible. I mean, sure we grow up believing that it is without error and holy, but we also read about the flood account, where two of every animal (on earth?!) fit into the boat and it floated for 6 months. And we read about the Israelites getting bitten by a sudden attack of poisonous snakes, casting a serpent out of bronze, and then finding healing by fixing their gaze at it. And then there’s the story about Elisha calling lions to attack the boys who called him “baldie”. If you’re not raising your eyebrows in confusion or frustration at times, I wonder if you’re reading at all. There is some crazy stuff in there.
And to add to your frustration, I’m not even about to explain away these stories. (I don’t know how to!) But I do want to offer a way to read the Bible that allows these crazy stories to stay in their place. And for our faith in a good, loving God to remain intact. We read with eyes of wonder.
As an elementary school teacher, one of the skills we have to teach our students is to ask good questions. In a sense, to wonder. They’re already good at doing it, but not always good at recognizing their questions. Asking them to write them down, or verbalize them, creates a curiosity that will drive them to further learning. When we read a short story and then have them create a question--we are not doing that for the purpose of discounting the story we just read. We ask them so that they create this internal drive to know more. To find out what is going on inside their brain.
The same is true of the way we read the Bible. Struggling with something and asking a question won’t cause you to be struck by lightning. (Trust me…) But what it might do is clarify what you’re wrestling through. It might help you understand what’s bothering you about that passage. With the story of Abraham, I get a pit in my stomach every time I read it. Recognizing that, I realize that my question is, “How can a good God who promised Abraham a son, also ask him to kill him?” That is a real, legitimate question. And one we are right to wrestle with. If we’re going to trust this God of the Bible, we have to know he is good!
Reading with eyes of wonder doesn’t discount what we are reading. It puts us in a position to learn, to grow, and to deepen our trust in God by acknowledging that we don’t know it all. We’ll spend a few weeks on this topic, but for now, if you need a next step, I’d encourage you to read a small part of the Bible. Read it slowly and carefully. And pay attention to what bothers you. Can you formulate it into a question? If so, write it down. There. You did it. And no lightning, right? Maybe just a spark in your own heart to learn more...
**If you are also wrestling with the Genesis story of Abraham and Isaac, I’d encourage you to listen to this podcast by The Meeting House. It literally brought tears to my eyes, having read this text a few hours earlier, crying out to God to help me understand. Maybe it will bring clarity and joy to your understanding of the ancient story.