A Thick Book

Several years ago at a workshop on preaching led by William Willimon, I  heard a phrase that has become embedded in how I describe the Bible. The phrase he used, which I regularly use giving credit to Willimon, was “the Bible is a thick book.” His analogy had nothing to do with the actual thickness of any version of the Bible, but rather with the brutal reality that none of us ever successfully master its contents.

In The Art of Reading Scripture, edited by Ellen F. Davis and Richard B. Hays, Davis writes a chapter titled “Teaching the Bible Confessionally in the Church.” In that chapter she tells a classroom story where, at mid-term, a student told her “When we started, I thought the problem was that I read too slowly. Now I see that the problem is, I read too fast.” (page 12) Davis goes on to comment, “Slowing down, we can begin to see how the (sometimes frustratingly) complex literary artistry of the Bible conveys theological meaning.” 

In Michael Casey’s Sacred Reading, Casey suggests that one of the key requirements for “sacred reading” is “on the spirit of reverence that should pervade our reading.” (page 26) He goes on to suggest that this reverence is best understood as “the sobriety of spirit that stems from an experience of the otherness of God which makes us want to subdue self, remain silent, and to submit.”

As Casey develops this idea, he notes that reverence propels us toward silence; will cause us to surround our reading with safeguards to its seriousness; will cause us to have respect for the text as the Bible; and build into us a determination to put into practice the good news encountered in reading – not to be hearer only, but doers. (pages 27, 28)

On my smart phone, I have an app that reminds me to read the Bible. Typically when I respond to the reminder, a verse from somewhere in the Bible pops us. It is tempting, and actually easy to fall victim to the temptation, to quickly read the verse and move on. You can even click some “share link” on that verse and it will appear on your Facebook page for all the world to know you read some verse in the Bible. While it may be true that any reading of the Bible is better than no reading of the Bible, I’m not sure that’s exactly what Michael Casey has in mind in Sacred Reading!

On the other end of the spectrum, for people like me it is very easy to be tempted, and to fall victim to the temptation, to read the Bible from the vantage point of academic expert. The “mechanics of interpreting” become more our focus than what the text actually says.  While it may be true that any reading of the Bible is better than no reading of the Bible, I’m not sure that’s exactly what Michael Casey has in mind in Sacred Reading!

Davis goes on in her article to suggest that there “are good reasons for studying Hebrew and Greek. But perhaps the best reason is the most obvious: reading in the original languages slows us down, and reading the text more slowly is essential for learning to love the Bible.” (page 15)

None of this is to suggest that one has to learn Hebrew and Greek to make the Bible have meaning. But it is to suggest that perhaps we would all do well to slow down a bit in our reading of Scripture. My first preaching professor, Orval Morgan, told his students regularly “take time to soak the beans.” There is some truth that analogy for us all – Hebrew or Greek readers or not.

The writer of Psalm 119 was on to something!

How can young people keep their way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

with my whole heart I seek you;

Do not let me stray from your commandments.

I treasure your word in my heart,

so that I may not sin against you. (9-11)

A “thick book” indeed.