Holding Up the Bible

When we accept the Word of God into our lives, having made Jesus, the Word who became flesh, the
Lord of our lives, we can be changed. Jeremiah 23 says:
29 "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the Lord, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor.

The Scriptures will change our thinking and renew our minds.  The entrance of His Word, according to the Psalms, brings light - and this passage points out that we can have old ideas and worldviews burned away, so that our minds are retrained to think in line with God's wisdom.  His Word has such power that it will break up the ingrained thought patterns and replace them with powerful truth by which we can live and relate to the world around us.

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We can hold up God's Word as an example for us, but Christian believers also recognize that we have
to open the book and open our hearts so that we can receive direction from God. Hebrews 4 states:
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

It's become a narrative that the media has seized on in the midst of unrest.  A speech by the President declaring his desire to see violence end on the streets of America, followed by a walk to the venerable St. John's Church across the street, which had been set on fire by vandals.  President Trump, accompanied by Administration officials, famously held up a Bible as he stood outside the church.

The narrative emerged that the President, or someone associated with him, ordered "peaceful" protesters to be dispersed using tear gas so that he could do a photo op, using the Bible as a prop. A week later, the Washington Post was still fixated on the events of the evening and released a detailed "investigation" piece about what happened.  The U.S. Park Police produced a timeline of events that indicated that the protest was by no means peaceful and Attorney General Barr said that action to clear nearby Lafayette Park was not because of the President's visit.  Even some supporters of Mr. Trump, namely, senators Lankford and Sasse, were critical of the Bible being used as a "prop."

Nick Hall of the PULSE Movement is calling for a truce in the war of words over the event, which came in response to a church being burned, which should ideally have aroused more anger than the President's action.  Hall, at ReligionNews.com, poses the question concerning the horrific death of George Floyd and the protests and violence in the aftermath: "So what is the answer?"

I think President Donald Trump pointed to it — even if you don’t like how it happened or who it happened through: We need to meet at the Bible.

The Bible offers solutions for this present moment, and the president holding it has people all over the world talking about what it actually says.

Hall delivers this perspective:

So, yes, you should be glad Trump is holding the Bible, not because he is the embodiment of the words of the book, but because the book offers the embodiment of the fruits of the Spirit that he, and all of us, need.

Now, I get many are upset the president was seen holding up a Bible after making statements many view as unbiblical. Similarly, I know there are many others thankful that the president is holding up a Bible because they believe he is God’s man for the job. I would like to simply suggest a third option — that we look past all of that to the book in his hands. 

For those more upset about rioting and looting than grieved over the injustice done to George Floyd and the systemic racism that has existed for 400 years in America, the Bible speaks much to listening and seeking to understand the experiences of others. It prophetically calls out injustice.

For those upset with Trump, the Bible speaks much about loving those different from us, turning the other cheek when we are offended and forgiving those who wrong us not simply seven times, but 70 times seven.

Hall, by the way, had partnered with other ministries to declare 2020 as the "Year of the Bible." He writes: "We had no clue that in 2020 we would be facing a global pandemic and a national crisis over our history of racism. Yet it’s precisely these kinds of moments in our lives when we need to turn to Scripture and remember what the Bible says about justice, forgiveness, reconciliation and mercy."

It is unfortunate that there seems to be more angst over the President's symbolic gesture than the actual attack on a church. So, he used a Bible as a symbol - some say a prop; it wasn't perfectly executed.  But, keep in mind that symbols are important in our culture and can powerfully represent institutions and concepts.  Those who have turned to violence in these days get that and have attacked symbols of the American experience - houses of worship, historical markers, places of business - and many of these are intent on bringing down American institutions, figuratively or literally.

The American Bible Society is attempting to capitalize on the recent attention over the Bible - another Religion News story highlights a campaign to make free Bibles available and to encourage people to download a Bible app.  The article quotes from Whitney T. Kuniholm, a senior vice president of the society, who stated in a blog post: “In this time of pandemic fear and social isolation, in this time of racial injustice and senseless violence, in this time of economic uncertainty and generational pain, we should be careful not to use the Bible as a political symbol, one more prop in a noisy news cycle...:  The Religion News article continues; 

Asked if the statement was a response to a specific government leader, Kuniholm noted the conversations that started after Trump’s appearance.

“The President's visit on Monday to St. John's Episcopal Church with a Bible in-hand sparked a lot of dialogue across the nation about the Bible,” Whitney T. Kuniholm, a senior vice president of the Philadelphia-based society, told Religion News Service in a statement.

“Since Monday, other politicians have referenced the Bible as well. At American Bible Society, we believe this is an opportunity to encourage conversation and be a resource to share the life-affirming message of God's Holy Word.”

Fox News reported on someone that didn't agree with Trump's actions, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, who "accused the president of using the Bible and 'one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.'" Franklin Graham disagreed, saying, "Offended? Not at all," adding in a Facebook post that the President "made an important statement that what took place the night before in the burning, looting, and vandalism of the nation’s capital—including this historic house of worship—mattered, and that the lawlessness had to end."

The Bible refers to itself as "living and active."  Yes, the sight of a physical Bible can certainly symbolize faith and truth, but we do have to open our Bible - to see what's inside, and realize that the application of the Scriptures during these difficult times can be highly effective.

And, remember that symbols matter. Our houses of worship are filled with them - most Christian churches have a cross prominently displayed - I don't think that is a prop; it's a bold reminder of what Jesus has done for us.  The crosses that have been erected in yards across our area during Christmas, some of which have been used during the time of COVID-19 serve to remind us where our help comes from.  Beautiful stained glass windows have been used through the centuries to tell stories of God's faithfulness.  We need to be reminded of God's timeless truths and look to apply those principles; in so doing, we release His mighty power.