Now I'll admit, at first glance, the girly-girl in me liked the colors. I'll also admit that we have a few "trendy looking" Bibles in our house. John got a two-toned NIV study Bible at a conference once. He also has a cute little Message Remix, and most recently he got a copy of the Green Bible, which I think is pretty in its own simple earthy way. I confess that I have a purple Women of Faith Bible, given to me when John proposed. And just the other day I was complementing a girl on her glittery little Bible as she came into children's worship. I'm saying all of this to let you know that I am not completely against the Word being aesthetically pleasing. If a cute Bible gets someone to pick it up & start reading it for the first time, terrific. But something about this Bible has gone too far.
Maybe it is the idea that it is more of an accessory than the foundational wisdom for living a Christlike life. Maybe it is the notion of offering a "choice"- as if we are telling the little girls to whom this is marketed that we can tailor the Bible to fit our own personality. Maybe it is the overuse of the letter U rather than simply spelling out the word... I don't know. I think more than anything, it is the subliminal message that this Bible is about you (or me, or whoever gets this little darling on sale at Lifeway). Is the Bible applicable to you? Of course! Does God use it to speak to your life? Sure! But I think society does enough to fool us into thinking life is all about us, without some Zondervan marketing genius plastering the same notion on the cover of the Bible. Kids have enough pressure these days from well-intentioned parents making & expecting everything to be perfect, giving them anything & everything they want, making into enemies teachers, coaches, refs, and anyone who makes life a little difficult or bursts the bubble they build around their children. Americans- Christians- We raise selfish kids.
Jesus called His followers to abandon everything- sinful desires & bad habits, sure, but also jobs, family, EVERYTHING in pursuit of Him and His way of life. Inside that very Bible are stories about the Son of God washing the feet of fishermen and being mocked & spit upon as he was sentenced to die. Jesus didn't have a house. He borrowed a donkey for the triumphal entry. I already wrestle daily with how much extra stuff we have in our house that could benefit someone else, and I know we have less than many other Christian families. There are people in the world who don't have Bibles because they can't read them, or afford them, or they are forbidden. And here we are marketing one that pretty much cheapens the Word of God into something like one of those Lisa Frank binders I had in middle school. And makes it more about impressing your friends, showing off your personality, looking cute at church, than about trying to be like Jesus.
I realize this blog is a little harsh. But you know what? It's time for Christians to get harsh on ourselves & each other when it involves complacency and selfishness. If we get our focus right, we can change the world. If we don't, we'll just keep making our own world prettier, so we don't have to see the darkness closing in on those outside of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I just realized we have too many Bibles in our house. Anyone know of a good ministry that can share them?
4 comments:
I'm with you on that Bible being a little over the top. If the outside is "choose your style" and it's all about you, then I guess it's "your choice" about what you apply inside. Isn't that how we live? Our Bibles should not be an accessory to our lives!! I think it's nice to make Bibles with durable, child proof like covers that can take the wear and tear- but really, how many different Bible covers do we need to have?
Second thing: We just recently went through our Bible shelf (that almost makes me want to vomit thinking about how many Bibles we had). We gave a big stack to a Hispanic Church that our church helped start. They were needing some English Bibles. So if you want to donate your Bibles somewhere in Lexington, there you go. :) But I'm guessing that if you did make a trip to KY you're not going to want to haul your Bibles along with all the stuff required for traveling with your girls. :)
I don't have a Bible anymore (my beloved high school one appears to be lost, and I have been wanting to find a better one anyway) -I'll have to check those out..they are so clearly me ;) I'll have to google the Green Bible though. That sounds cool.
I agree that if this cute Bible (yes, it caught my eye too!) gets someone to pick it up and read it, great! But if a girl is more concerned about which of the 4 inserts she'll use today, it's clearly missing the mark. I enjoyed your "harsh" post. Thanks girl!
I like your post, babe. I'll admit it - I am a Bible whore. I have my "cadillac" Bible that I write all my notes in. The Study Bible you mentioned (that was given to me for free, though!) that is the only study Bible I use. I have 2 Message Bibles - one that is HUGE and suitable for home reading, one suitable for "on the go." I have the "Green Bible" that is really useful for the articles and the "green verses" that have opened my eyes even more to the references to God's love for His creation (although I will admit it is a TAD overdone when they highlight verses that say something like "the stone was rolled away" just because it has "stone" in it). And then I have a gabillion small, portable Bibles (many of which were given to me)that are different translations and are each suitable for speaking from depending on the type of audience. I HAVE sensed a need to get rid of a few... but I can't bring myself to throw the Bible away (even if it is too tattered to give to someone). I DO need to find an organization that will take them. Thanks for guiltying me.
On another note, if girls are using this Bible as an accessory, it does scare me. But, it also makes me hope that it encourages them to take their Bibles to church and Bible Study. It blows my mind the number of people that don't bring their Bibles at all -- even though all most of them need to do is pick them up from the floorboard of their car. But hopefully it encourages these girls to take their Bibles to church... and hopefully they will be pierced by the Word. And hopefully they will see it as much more than a fashion or vehicle accessory.
Post a Comment