the B-I-B-L-E

“The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me. I stand upon the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E. BIBLE!”

I can still hear the voices of elementary-age kids singing these words enthusiastically at Green Tree Brethren Vacation Bible School. Me among them. 

 The song came crawling out of history when I met Joe yesterday. I was introduced as a pastor and he promptly started to spill forth his religious jokes.

            You know what b-i-b-l-e stands for? Nnno…

            Book of Instruction Before Leaving Earth. Lol!

Being non-religious, I’m not sure what side of sarcasm he landed on. But, his little acronym couldn’t have exposed a bigger truth. 

Before leaving earth. In other words, before dying this is how we are to live where we are. Not what to believe in order to reap some reward later. Without mucking up the instruction with doctrine, the Book of Instruction emphasizes how we are to be stewards of this earth we have been given, how we are to live justly, what the Lord requires of us. It’s pretty straight-forward really. And, it’s also really hard – because we are tempted by materialism, self-rightness and power. So when we read instruction like…

            Love your enemy (Matthew 5:44)

            Just as you did [feed, clothe, visit] to the least of these, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40)

            If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also (Luke 6:29)

            Keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways (Deuteronomy 8:6)

            Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly (Micah 6:8)

…it is much easier to claim what we believe than live the instructions we are given. 

 Living according to these few instructions on earth is counter-cultural. I believe it is the culture that Jesus countered and that I am challenged to live if I am going to be a follower and not merely a worshipper.

In this together…