The Bible is the best selling book of all time with over 5 billion copies sold and distributed; this is according to the Guinness Book of Records. Yet, The Bible is also possibly the book that is read the least from cover to cover. Why is that? It’s a question without a doubt many have long asked and would have their respective answers for, just like they readily do for many scriptures within the Bible. But not many may deduce the possibility that we may need to make the bible more exciting.
The Bible is not easy to read
People can debate all they want about why they think the Bible is to be read a particular way; they can also advise how they think it should not be read, but it does not change one fact. The Bible contains “And he made, And it came to pass, And the servant spoke, And when she had, And he said, And then, And then, And then, And then…”.
Let’s face it, the Bible is not exactly the easiest or most enjoyable book to read. And it would help significantly if more people just accept that. Even the countless translations of the Bible available do not make it universally appealing; millions do not feel motivated enough to start reading it, yet alone continue.
Appreciating the value
Of course you’re going to find many who do not agree with the above statements; it just conflicts with their learned traditions and subjective viewpoints. It’s safe, however, to say that many people are tired of problems and disagreements and instead prefer solutions and harmony. Not because some people grasp teachings or information a particular way it means that everyone can or should.
Growing up, very few children looked forward to going to school; they saw it as a chore, something that was tedious, boring and repetitive. What most children likely had most interest in was the vacation. Yet, the average person would freely admit that children being in school is a good thing.
Adults or more mature-thinking children are more eager to go to school; they understand the clear advantages of obtaining quality education. Additionally, there are people who understand the value but prefer to find more efficient ways of obtaining it. And then there are those who have no clue of the true value and don’t have sufficient motivation or will to see it.
The Bible should not be forced
When you consider that the only reason most children likely went to school for so many years is because their parents forced them to it’s easy to think that the same principle would apply to get more people to be eager to want to read the Bible. The problem with this idea is that even if you force someone to read the Bible year after year, if they are not reading because they generally see the value they are not going to be very motivated to continue doing so the moment they are no longer being forced.
Things become worse when people feel forced to read the Bible due to usage of fear, shame and guilt tactics. These are highly counterproductive. Consider that when Avengers Endgame was released, almost no one needed to be forced to go see the movie. They simply felt they would enjoy it and as such wanted to be engrossed with it.
Finally, someone gets “The Bible” right
For years, I’d been waiting for a studio to turn stories from the Bible into something more people would be more excited to see. In 2013, it was finally done through The Bible Mini Television Series, produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. It exceeded my expectations for a quite a few reasons.
I’d gotten used to anything Biblical portrayed being so corny or cheesy or focused only on Jesus; I’d become so accustomed to being disappointed that I’d given up hope that anyone would ever get it right. Seeing stories portrayed on screen with top acting and visuals added new meaning to biblical scenes. It even made the less interesting ones more enjoyable to absorb.
While watching the TV series, I was hardly concerned about how any character looked, sounded or if everything had been interpreted exactly as I had anticipated. I was more interested in the stories that were told. This series had me hooked in a way that reading the Bible (or studying it as some prefer to say) could not have done before. It was after watching the movie that I then felt more enthusiastic about trying to read the Bible from cover to cover again. It was in realizing this that many other questions came to mind.
Much more can be done with The Bible
If the Bible has been the best selling book for decades then why isn’t more emphasis placed on people finding new and innovative ways to get others to read the Bible? Is it because they believe the book has already been sold so it doesn’t really matter? Why are traditional approaches to getting people to read (or study) the Bible still used to death like a beatstick? And why is it even important to read the Bible?
It’s about time we stop getting caught up in titles and accolades and start focusing more on doing whatever it takes to get a greater number people to properly comprehend the reason that some things are highly praised. If someone could make millions of people become more excited about Avengers, the same can be done with the Bible.
