I started out this morning thinking I would challenge all you dear readers of this splendid scroll to read the Bible from cover to cover in this new year. That is an exercise that many people consider doing sometime in their lifetime but then fail to finish. It’s a discipline that is easy to start. However, by the time we read through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, even the stoutest among us is likely to grow weary. I find it difficult to keep reading when my eyes begin to involuntarily cross. Only a few minutes ago, I started to read the book of Leviticus and a lens fell out of my glasses. I have it taped back in with Scotch tape until I can get to someone who can put it back in for me. If I could see well enough to put the tiny screw in myself, well, I wouldn’t need the glasses in the first place. Now I’m not blaming my loose lens on Leviticus, but stranger things have happened.

     Don’t get me wrong, There are many engaging passages and stories in these first books of the Bible but then there are…well, you know what I mean… it sometimes becomes tough going. Still, I think it’s a wonderful achievement to read it through from beginning to end. We generally live in an undisciplined era where we look for the easiest way to do almost everything. I got my theological education just after the old era ended in which ministerial students were expected to memorize the names of all the kings of Israel. I doubt that I could have made it past that requirement. So, if you have the aptitude and stamina to read the Bible through in 365 days, God bless you and have at it. You can find many resources on line or in bookstores to help with your reading.

     But if reading massive amounts of fine print comes hard for you, here’s a possible alternative for you in the new year. Make a list of the familiar Bible stories you heard in your childhood from your parents, or grandparents, or at Sunday School. Then go to the Bible and read those same stories as they are written there. You may be surprised by what you find there. I have discovered that most of us have imperfect memories of those stories, but because we have some memories we assume we know them well and do not read them afresh in our adulthood. Thus we miss out on the richness of the sacred writings that help shape our spirituality. If you did not hear these stories as a child, then buy a book of Bible stories for children. Read the stories there and then read the originals in the Bible itself.

     Here’s a simple example of how we embellish these biblical stories. In the book of Genesis we know there is the story of Creation and we know that Adam and Eve were tempted by the sly serpent to eat an apple. Or was it an apple? Every artist’s rendering of that scene shows an apple. Right? But read the account in the Bible and you will find no mention of an apple. Who knows? It may have been a kumquat! Many of the images we have of biblical scenes come not from the Bible but from classical art and literature—John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Found, for example. Here’s another thing to remember. We often miss deeper lessons when we only remember the first versions of these stories we heard as children. The great thing about sacred writings is that they are layered with multiple meanings and are valuable for persons of every age and in every age.

     I love the Bible. I wish it were read more with real understanding. At the beginning of a new year is a good time to have a fresh look at it. You may be surprised at what you find there!

     Kumquat, eh?

• Back to Archive
• Back to Media Gallery