More from Eat This Book

Eugene Peterson quotes to ponder: "The Christian Scriptures are the primary text for Christian spirituality. Christian spirituality is, in its entirity, rooted in and shaped by the scriptural text....God does not put us in charge of forming our personal spiritualities. We grow in accordance with the revealed Word implanted in us by the Spirit." "But the 'text' that seems to be most in favor on the American landscape today is the sovereign self.... It has become characteristic of our burgeoning, contemporary spirituality in its various manifestations to take the sovereign self as text. But the results are not encouraging: the groundswell of interest in spirituality as this new millennium has opened up does not seem to be producing any discernible outpouring of energetic justice and faithful love, two of the more obvious accompaniments of a healthy and holy Christian life." "There is an enormous interest these days in the soul. In church this interest is evidenced in a revival of attention in matters of spiritual theology, spiritual leadership, spiritual direction and spiritual formation. But there is not a corresponding revival of interest in our Holy Scriptures.... Those who are enthusiastic about this work, are frequently, even typically disinterested in the Holy Scriptures, the book that is given to us by the Holy Spirit. It is a matter of urgency that interest in our souls be matched by an interest in our Scriptures--and for the same reason: they, Scripture and souls, are the primary fields of operation of the Holy Spirit." Peterson is right; an interest in the Holy Scriptures is essential if we are to experience a healthy and holy Christian life. But more is required than an interest in the Scriptures. I belong to a faith tradition that, through the generations, has placed a high value on Scripture as inspired and authoritative. Yet, in many ways we failed to manifest justice and faithful love. We valued a knowledge of Scripture and we read Scripture searching not for the message that would transform our lives, but as a means of proving our doctrinal position. We used Scripture not to promote love but as a dividing wedge. We used Scripture not to advance justice in the world but to divide us from the world. As a result we are at a crossroad; we have three choices. We can continue on the same path the generations before us trod; we can continue to aquire biblical knowledge and use it in a way that harms the body rather than heals it. Or we can turn down the path that honors the sovereign self as the authoritative text. Or we can turn down the path that reads the Bible to experience the transforming power of its message. If we choose the last path we will need a new way of reading. In future posts I'll say more about Eat This Book, including a new approach to reading Scripture.