Acts 26:26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
It saddens me that the only contact with the bible some get is through the theater or television. It can be entertaining but all too often it is exactly that theater. Anyone with a mild acquaintance with history can pick apart many of the story lines. The issues of entertaining over substance often misleads the viewer away from the real issues. It did happen as the bible says.
The reason I say that is because of this very verse, it was not done in a corner. It happened openly, there were many witnesses, there were many historians, and there are reliable resources from outside the religious community. Yet sadly the world is in such a rush these days that few slow down long enough to investigate the essentials for themselves.
Being a serious student of the Word, being one who is dedicated to seek out all that I can discover in matters which hold salvation, mercy and grace out to a world which needs to hear the truth, I have to admit I don’t always get it right. I discover that because I keep seeking.
I enjoy theater as much as anyone, but I see it as just that theater. One of the exercises I have proposed to our youth leader is to take a bible movie and have the youth compare the movie with the bible. This suggestion is not to pick at screenwriters, because their jobs are difficult. They have to sell it to the producers so that it can become a movie and be seen by the public. The viewer has the responsibility to understand that which is theater and that which is biblically accurate.
The question is, do we care enough to know the truth?
Not that we want to stick our heads in a hole like an ostrich, but television takes more of our time than the Scripture, on average.
On the first Sunday of June each year, our pastor challenges us to “Read the Bible in 90 Days”. Many will start, few will finish. I recall driving cross-country some years ago, and my only entertainment was the Bible … one cassette after another. That kept me going for 28 hours, as I recall. Naturally it is prudent to let our devotional time be a time of soaking, so I normally use http://www.biblegateway.com for my daily reading guide.
The first Monday of each year, we sign up for a half-hour reading slot. It takes the congregation 4.5 days to read from Genesis to Revelation. Since we are a multilingual church, it’s interesting to pop in and hear Spanish, Russian, French, Danish, Dutch, German, etc. Those in the seating area can follow along in their own tongue.
But to say, “I cannot find the time because of work or …. ” The excuses are endless. Those that will, will. Those that won’t, won’t.