Tonight I was chatting with a local pastor's wife after she so selflessly gave me a lift home rather than having me walk the 20 or so odd minutes home in the pitch dark. When I thanked her she said, "Awk, sure, saved you a few extra minutes," with a smile on her face, of course (she always does, I love it!). My natural response was, "Yea, now I can read a bit more before I head to bed!" This was said with pure excitement and joy because as much as I enjoy writing, I also enjoy reading! She then began asking me what I was reading and we got into a long discussion about books, culture today, and then an interesting topic arose because we had both recently been reading books written by people we personally knew.
I am currently reading On the Verge: A Journey Into the Apostolic Future of the Church by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson. This book was actually recommended to me by a friend. Ironically, I know Ferguson because he was one of my mom's childhood friends. Because of this I know him as such, not as some famous person from Chicago amongst today's Christian circles. He grew up, lived, and made mischief just like you and me (I know because of stories my grandparents reminisce over with family).
Knowing the author changes or skews the way I read or interpret what I'm reading. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing, but what I found, more interestingly, is that the woman I was chatting with had the same reaction. Knowing the author changes it, makes it different, more real, practical, believable. Because she knew the author she was reading and I, in a roundabout way, knew the author I'm currently reading and gave a hunger and desire to read it, to open my eyes to the actualisation of the words on the pages.
This. Knowing the Author. It changes things. Shouldn't that be how we approach the Bible? Taking time to talk with God and explore His Word is not merely an obligation, but becomes a desired hunger because of knowing the Author. It changes how I read Scripture, not seeing it as merely an account of history, but a love letter from the Perfect Father to this Prodigal Daughter. That when Christ said, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." He was speaking with me in mind, my sin burdened on His heart. When "He became sin who knew no sin that we might become His righteousness"...He became MY sin. He bore MY iniquities. He sweat drops of blood FOR ME.
This. Knowing this Author. It changes everything.
Do you know the Author?
