Why I Can’t Spell… Probably
Why the Practice of Reading Scripture Matters
Spelling was always my worst subject. When I failed a quiz or a test, my dad would make me copy the next week’s list triple the amount that was assigned by my teacher. He was frustrated because I had a knack for remembering every line of a song that I heard on the radio a few times or I would act out verbatim my favorite scenes from goofy movies (my favorite was Dana Carvey’s “Master of Disguise”), yet fail spelling quizzes and tests, while excelling in other subjects.
My dad concluded that I didn’t care enough because it was clear to him that I was capable of remembrance. He was probably right; I never found the subject of spelling very interesting. The problem was how I approached and interacted with the material. Songs and movies would stick because music and stories connect differently than memorizing a list. I think this demonstrates how there is a way to “know” that goes beyond what we can immediately recall.
You may have experienced trying to give directions to someone new to a town you’ve lived in for a long time. In your instruction, you could not recall the specific street names, but you could be anywhere in that town and know exactly where you are or where you need to go. Maybe you have attempted to tell someone how to make a family recipe. As watch your student attempt to carry out the task, you become frustrated and just take over.
In these cases, your memory of the recipe or your hometown is sensory or mechanical not academic. Seeing landmarks or tasting how salty or sweet the mix is lets you know where you are and how it’s going. You know what you’re doing just not in a way that may be easily recited in a step by step process. Your approach is different and personal in a way that would not be the same for someone who does not have your experience.
My Biblical Greek professor would say that the goal of our study was heart knowledge. He wanted us to be proficient in the head knowledge of the language — recalling the vocabulary and understanding the grammatical rules. He prayed that knowledge would move beyond recollection and that as we studied the word of God in its original language that it would speak to our hearts.
My point is there is a knowing that does not reside exclusively in our minds but penetrates our hearts. It is this kind “knowledge” that is the aim of the spiritual practice of reading Scripture.
In Jeremiah 31:33, the prophet relays the words of God saying,
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
In Matthew 22:27, Jesus answers the question of the greatest commandment. Quoting from Deuteronomy he says,
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
According to the Scripture itself, loving God entails the participation of our entire being. It is not enough to engage only with our minds or only with our hearts. It requires all of us.
Speaking to our whole selves, the spiritual practice of reading the Bible can engage us on every level. The wisdom relayed provides nutritious food for thought that when applied can lead to a better life. The emotion portrayed in the poetry and the psalms can give words to moments of great joy and can express comforting solidarity in times of despair. The story it tells of the human experience, the effect of evil in the world, and the cost of life apart from God can help us make sense of senseless pain we may experience. The good news of God’s loving intervention and the hope of coming redemption gives us the inspiration and motivation to follow Jesus in our particular time and place.
Followers of Jesus read the Bible so that the story it tells leading to Jesus may be imprinted on our hearts not just recalled in our minds.
The point of reading the Bible is is not to load up with ammo for the latest battle in the culture wars. It is not to be able to quote the most lines (though memorization can be a helpful tool). The purpose is heart knowledge. The goal is to allow our lives to be shaped by the self-revelation of God and to find our place in this long story of redemption.
If you are just beginning this practice, I offer the words I first heard in a sermon by John Mark Comer, “Start where you are, not where you should be.” To that end, this is the first of a series I plan to write offering tools to help you develop a practice of reading Scripture.
Here are a 2 resources that have inspired me and can help you get started:
- The You Version Bible App: https://www.bible.com/
- The Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/
If you are not the patient kind, you can catch most of what I intend to relay in this series here:
