Over-reliance

I have an iPhone 4 and I stuck on an anti-smudge screen protector as soon as I got it. I thought that it was absolutely necessary to have that additional layer of plastic. It gave a heightened sense of security. It gave more confidence to me as I handled (or manhandled) my phone with wet hands still drying from washing up, dirty hands from cleaning my car, and oily hands from checking my phone while eating my meals.

Two days ago, my sister gave me a new cover as a birthday present. It was a really cool cover that hugs the body of the phone very tightly--so tightly that when I put the case on, it managed to squeeze the screen protector right off! Naturally, I panicked. It was unprotected!

However, when I tried to use the phone without the protector, I noticed two things:

1. The screen by itself is bright, clear and beautiful. There's detail in apps and photos I never knew was there until now. You actually don't need the screen protector, which reduces the brightness and clarity of the screen by quite a fair bit. I'm sure Apple designed the iPhone to operate without a screen protector, and it certainly can.
2. You can exercise some extra care by ensuring your hands are clean(er) before handling the phone. Even if the screen gets smudged, it's a minor annoyance which can be addressed with a simple cleaning cloth.

Now, I'm a big fan of teachable moments, and I firmly believe that God uses anything and everything to teach us. As I was reflecting on the new-found brightness and clarity (it was there all along, just clouded by the screen protector), it gave perspective on how we Christians read our Bible. We're privileged to be in a modern age where information is accessible, and consequently we have many things to supplement our Bible reading. Examples include devotionals, commentaries, bible study articles, sermon videos on YouTube, and a multitude of iOs apps. The list will certainly get longer as technology progresses.

The supplementaries are great. The hard work of bible study is done for us, so all we have to do is simply read the interpretation. Difficult passages containing idiosyncratic phrases or eccentric behavior become easier to understand once we recognize the nuances of the language and the cultural context in which they are written. However, while I'm glad that we have unhindered access to such supplementary materials, I'm concerned that there may be an over-reliance on them to the point that we feel we cannot read, study, and apply our Bibles without them. If we were to be honest, we would admit that:

1. The Bible by itself is entirely sufficient. Like the iPhone screen, it is clear, bright and beautiful for those who would read deeply into it. Psalm 119:105 reads that "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path". I'm sure God designed us to be able to interpret His word without supplementaries, and we certainly can.
2. We can exercise some extra care in reading the Bible. When Jesus taught that we are to love the Lord "with all our mind", I believe that one aspect of that is to take the study of His word seriously. This means doing the hard work of bible study ourselves, taking on the role of the biblical interpreter. When and where was the text written? What type of literature is the text? What kind of literary devices are used by the characters in the text? What is the central idea of the text? Does reading before and after it give clarity as to what the author of the text is trying to say? Even if we don't understand the text fully, it's a minor annoyance which can be addressed by letting other parts of scripture shed light on the text in question.

Of course, if you're a new Christian, reading and interpreting your Bible for the first time is daunting and can be intimidating; by all means, refer to the supplementaries. My challenge is to the seasoned Christians out there--those who have the capacity, capability and the responsibility to read deeply into God's word.

Posted in: Bible Study,Christianity,Contemplation