Wrestling with the Bible

This week in Youth Group we reflected on what it means to be in relationship with Holy Scripture as Christians. We contemplated on Scriptures authority and meaning in our lives, even as it holds difficult, and sometimes undesirable, teachings and commandments. How are we to live into the lessons and regulations that come out of a text written thousands of years ago? It is difficult to know what kind of authority a text from such a foreign time, place, and culture holds in our lives today.

As Episcopalians we believe the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God, “because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible.” Furthermore, “we understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures” (BCP 853-4). So, while this ancient text was written by human beings we do still believe it to be divinely inspired for God. Thus, we give this text authority as it is our written connection to God’s Word, not only spoken and written thousands of years ago, but also today.

So, if we, as Christians, and Episcopalians, claim to believe and trust in the authority of the Bible, as God’s Word (both past, current, and future) how do we wrestle with the difficult topics, lessons, and commands it holds? Well, for me, this is the great blessing and gift of our faith, the ability to question, to struggle with, and to discover what it is I believe. For, faith is not blind or naive, it is not the ability to simply take in information and trust that it is true. Faith is a journey, it is a never  ending struggle that leaves us stronger in the end, more prepared for the next challenge. For, Jacob did not struggle with God to simply receive a bruised hip, but a blessing from God.

In my life, it has been the difficult questions, not only from the Bible, but also from my peers, that have allowed my faith to grow and strengthen. Too often I try to steer away from the difficult topics and questions of the Christian faith, for I do not want to question God, or God’s divine authority. But,  it is only when I delve into the hard undesirable  subjects that I come out with sense of renewed faith. When I take the time and effort to think and pray through what it is that Scripture is saying, and how it is that God relates to the world, I am often surprised with the answers and knowledge I receive. Wrestling with Scripture is a necessary task for developing faith, for it is only when we are more strongly rooted in the beliefs and teachings of our religion (and Holy Scripture) that we are more fully able to live into our faith and share it with others.