Rushing past

The day ash fell on Surabaya in 1963 and turned day to night, I hardly noticed. Bali’s Gunung Agung had erupted—one of the largest, most devastating eruptions in Indonesia’s history—but my nose was in a book. It was only after I reached up to turn on the lamp that I realized it was pitch dark outside early on a Sunday afternoon.

Reading books

From the time I could read “Run, Dick, run,” I hungered for books and read voraciously. Every spare moment I had my eyes on a page and my mind engaged in story. How many times did my mother say, “You need to go outside and run around for a little while,” or “It’s getting dark—how can you still see!”?  Books took me into another world and kept my imagination fired up. I could not wait to find out what happened next.

Some books on my shelf included Scripture in the text. I skipped those verses to get back to the author’s story. Sometimes I felt frustrated that they were there. A waste of my time, I said. I already know that. The author’s tale is much more interesting than Bible verses, I thought.

Rushing past

Maybe the author’s choice seemed out of place in the scheme of things or even preachy. But in the end what I was really doing was rushing past the Word of God.

Rushing past the gospel.

Rushing past authentic truth.

Sometimes in the middle of my life story, I’ve failed to stop for the Word. I’ve brushed by the truth and rushed past the only word that is real in the midst of this life.

Rushing past the gospel

One time I was sharing with a friend in Pakistan. I opened my Bible and started reading John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son…” I looked up and asked, “Have you heard this before?” Like, maybe I didn’t need to read the whole verse. Rushing past…

She was listening intently. “No. No, I’ve never heard this before.”

Never. Never heard the most commonly quoted verse of the Bible. It stunned me that day. Brought tears to my eyes.  What an absolute privilege to read and share the Word of God. How could I even think of rushing past it?

As words increase and multiply on printed page and electronic screen, they take us on some amazing adventures and give us an understanding of history and current realities. But in the end, there is only one word that will remain and never fade in relevance or authenticity. One word that speaks of true and abundant life. The living and enduring Word of God.

Pressing in

So today, instead of rushing past, I draw near. Like the crowds of Luke 5 who were “pressing in on Jesus to hear the word of God” (Luke 5:1 CSB), I press in to hear Him. Reading Scripture. Waiting. Listening. Sharing.

What about you?

Do you ever find yourself rushing past the Word of God? What’s your story?