the Bible: Old Friend or Perfect Stranger?

Have you ever read the Bible and suddenly felt that an old friend was a perfect stranger? This happens to me all the time. Just when I think I know the Bible, I read something I didn’t know was in there. This is kind of embarrassing to admit because I’m a Bible scholar and an ordained pastor. If anyone should know what’s in there, it’s me. I have a PhD in this stuff. It’s my actual job to know this book. And yet…

I can’t quite seem to master the Bible. I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface. 

But I think that’s part of why I can’t stop reading it. The mystery of the Bible is part of its irresistible draw.

The Why of Scripture

I have read favorite books twice. Or even three times. But reading a book over and over again? That’s kind of unnatural. And kind of rare. Hardly anyone does that. But many people of faith read the Bible over and over and over. Reading it their entire lives. Why do we do it?

Some might argue that it’s a duty of faith to read Scripture. That we do it because we should or ought to or because think we might receive some heavenly reward for doing so. Maybe that is why some people read the Bible. But that’s not why for me. 

Some might claim we read Scripture because it does some undeniably objective good like brushing our teeth, eating vegetables, or going to bed on time. This would make a great social scientific research project. Does Scripture reading do us good -  Objectively? Like health benefits, peace of mind, a sense of community or identity. I have no doubt that it does. But that’s still not why I read it over and over again.

So why do I (or maybe we) engage in this odd behavior of reading the same book over and over again?

The Irresistible Draw of Mystery

We all have our own reasons, to be sure. Faith is sometimes a difficult thing to understand, even more difficult to articulate. Here is just one of mine.

For me, reading the Bible is a mysterious activity. When I read it, things happen to me. This sounds strange even while I’m typing it. But it’s true. Reading Scripture often produces emotive reactions for me - I feel things. Sometimes it triggers memories - I remember things. Sometimes it gives me insight into something - I realize things. Reading the Bible very often surprises me - I learn things. About myself. About the world. About God. About other people. This is one of the things I love the most about an embodied reading of Scripture. It encourages us to pay attention to our physical and emotive reactions to reading the Bible.

This is the mark of great literature. Books, stories create worlds for us to enter and they have the power to affect us, shape us, change us. But it’s more than that. Even amazing works of literature I don’t read over and over again. Maybe some people do. But not me. So, to me, the Bible is more than great literature. The allure goes beyond that.

One of the most intriguing qualities of the Scripture, for me, is that I can’t master it. The Bible remains mysterious no matter how many times I read it. There is always more to discover. It defies mastery and can’t be conquered by dissection and analysis only. The Bible inspires, challenges, shocks, comforts and, perhaps, above all else - the Bible intrigues me and invites me back over and over. I can’t put it down. It's a puzzle, a mystery, a source of comfort and frustration and joy. It’s both one of my oldest friends and a perfect stranger.

Does Scripture have an irresistible draw for you, or not? Post a comment on our Facebook or Instagram (@religionforher)!