One of the greatest advancements in humanity was the invention of the printing press. With the advent of this new technology, the mass production of written material became not only accessible, but also affordable. Suddenly, it wasn’t a few who knew how to read or had access to reading materials. The masses began learning to read and our sacred scriptures, which were primarily in the hands of the priests, became available to the lay person.
For the past 500 years, we have shared bibles around the globe. This has been both a gift and curse. The sharp division within our faith has erupted in part due to unique interpretations of the same scriptures. Without a deeper context and understanding of the ancient past, we read these through the lens of our dominant culture and modern worldview.
Yet on the positive side is the gift of being able to read and have the stories of God’s movements at work in our lives! These words on page we considered inspired by God. They help shape and mold us to be living examples of love, grace, forgiveness, etc. I like what Paul writes to his protégé Timothy,
Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good (2 Tim 3:16-17). Granted, he didn’t have the New Testament like we do and this refers to the Old Testament, but I do think it is true. The gift of these scriptures is to teach, reveal our shadows, to correct our path and to create people who Embody Christ daily!