How many people do you count?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Could your Bible stop a bullet?
When the conversation began, I had a plan, but immediately strayed. Sometimes my French is just good enough to get me into trouble... I wanted to find out what people thought of the Bible as a Holy Book, whatever that means. I began by asking the group of 20 Burkinabé university students in front of me whether or not they thought the Bible itself had magical power. "Could it stop a bullet if you carried it with you?" I asked. I'm somewhat cynical at times of the "magic" with which we endow our Bibles, as if God beamed the thing down from the heavens instead of passing through real human beings who wrote down what the Spirit was inspiring them to write.
Everybody laughed at my question. Then, some of the students began to summarize the lesson our very capable pastor taught them the previous week about how the canon was formed - by real people under the inspiration of God's Spirit. The Bible's power comes from it's ability to transform. I was impressed.
Less than a week later, a thief entered our university residence/church building and made off with several cell phones, only a little bit of money (thank God - the students need all they can get to register for the coming university year), and our lone, remaining computer. In conversation with the students the following day, one student marveled at how his phone was not taken - it was sitting right on top of his Bible. In his interpretation, the thief knew better than to steal something that was touching something so holy. Should I eat my words or shake my head? Could I be wrong about the Holy Power of such a book? Certainly, in the African context, there is no place for faith and doubt. Everything happens for a purpose for the African Christian. Do I believe this? Why not?
What do you think?
Everybody laughed at my question. Then, some of the students began to summarize the lesson our very capable pastor taught them the previous week about how the canon was formed - by real people under the inspiration of God's Spirit. The Bible's power comes from it's ability to transform. I was impressed.
Less than a week later, a thief entered our university residence/church building and made off with several cell phones, only a little bit of money (thank God - the students need all they can get to register for the coming university year), and our lone, remaining computer. In conversation with the students the following day, one student marveled at how his phone was not taken - it was sitting right on top of his Bible. In his interpretation, the thief knew better than to steal something that was touching something so holy. Should I eat my words or shake my head? Could I be wrong about the Holy Power of such a book? Certainly, in the African context, there is no place for faith and doubt. Everything happens for a purpose for the African Christian. Do I believe this? Why not?
What do you think?
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