Words of The Lamb magazine

by Clara Klein

Getting to know the bible (again) as a senior

&&& For our anniversary this year, my husband and I got ourselves a giant print version of the Bible. We are finally settling into our retired lifestyle, and both got the yen to be reading scripture. In the faith tradition which I was raised, no one told me to read the Bible. There wasn’t really an emphasis on that. I knew some passages from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that were read during the gospel part of the service. And somehow I happened upon the Psalms whilst looking for inspirational readings to get me through the trials of life. But I hadn’t ventured further. My husband had a different background and had done more than a few bible studies in his day. He would be my guide. At this time in our lives – he in his seventies and me in my sixties – it seemed like an apropos time to be acquainted with God’s word. Because frankly, at this point in life, that’s pretty much the focus – making sure you get home to God.

&&& Honestly, all those tiny-print bibles are quite capable of putting a person off. Who wants to tackle all that fine print and try to figure out what it means? I think that had a lot to do with my reluctance to read anything in them. As for the psalms, which I fell in love with, I easily procured a copy of that book on its own, and read it often. And then there’s the different versions of holy scripture. My family had the King James version – pretty hard for kids to read, let alone adults. Then as a young adult I was told to get the St. Joseph version – still not very welcoming and missing some important parts. When I began my exploring of other denominations, I found many using the new international version. This time it was my budget that kept me from buying a large, legible version. So the small NIV sat in storage with the others for many years. When I finally dug them out after cleaning and reorganizing the house for retirement, I picked up one of them to read, and literally couldn’t, not without a magnifying lens. Then my husband said he used to have a bible, but couldn’t find it. So we knew it was time to get a really good Bible that we could actually read. Large print wasn’t big enough – my husband’s had three operations on one of his eyes – no, we went for the largest font available – GIANT PRINT. It was costly, but we knew it would be worth it – this would be our last bible. As it happened the giant print was available in an excellent version, too – the New Living Translation – “easy to understand, relevant for today.” When we excitedly received the holy book, we were astonished that we could easily read it, navigate through it, and understand it. What a blessing

&&& Now we take turns reading passages aloud to each other and do so on a regular basis. No longer an item of fright, it is reached for as a source of comfort. Rather than being intimidated by chapters that could not be fully read, let alone understood, we now see words larger than life (pardon the pun) and the historical accounts flow. We don’t even shelve it in the library, rather, leaving it out where it’s easily accessible. I’m reading stories I never even knew about and learning more about God’s will for us than I’ve ever known. It is amazing what comfort can be found in this holiest of books. And entering the final chapter of life, nothing is more needed nor desired.

&&& The beautiful Psalms were the first thing I opened to because I was already familiar with them and loved them. They contained the Song of Songs, verses that my husband and I read to each other at our wedding. In the Psalms we find cries of lament and pleas for mercy and rescue as well as shouts of joy and praise. They encompass the gamut of human emotion and teach us to trust in the Lord’s care. My favorite is Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

&&& As a nature lover, I am also drawn to the Book of Genesis. It was the first story that I wanted to fully delve into. Now I could see the progress of creation in full detail, not skipping over sections to avoid the minutiae, but fully taking it in. The creation of light, water, sky, land, plants, stars, animals, and humans, all occur in logical order. Light had to come first, to illuminate what God was doing, water, second, as the life-giver to all, then the habitats and plants and animals to fill them, with man at the culmination, as master over all of these. Even the food web is mentioned, in verse that tells what feeds whom. (Genesis 1:28-31) In the garden of Eden, we see that there are two trees, the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge. For God gives us life (represented by the first tree) for the purpose of communion with Him. It follows then that He must give us a way to discern between good and evil (the second tree), thus giving us the free will to choose His way or stray from it. From Adam and Eve’s story we find out how sin began, and the consequences of it. The story of Babel gives us an account of God spreading the people out across the lands, giving each a different tongue. Noah’s story explains the dispersion of animals. For the questions of how the world was formed and became what it is, the answers are in Genesis. Also included are the great stories of the early patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Joseph.

&&& Isaiah is another book that resonated with me, this time because it tells of exoneration and recompense. I remembered the name of this book because throughout my life, I’ve always looked for inspirational quotes, and some of them were credited to Isaiah. For instance, “See God has come to save me.” (Isaiah 12:2) Another, “But to the poor, o Lord, you are a refuge from the storm. To the needy in distress, you are a shelter from the rain and the heat.” (25:4) To stir our courage we read from 35:4 – “Say to those who are afraid, Be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.” Also from Isaiah we learn the names of the Messiah who will bring hope: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (9:6).

&&& Proverbs is like Confucius for the Christian – witty sayings that give you something to chew on for the day. Solomon gives us these gems: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” (3:5-6) “If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you.” (11:27) And of course the book covers the seven deadly sins – pride, lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, envy and wrath, by telling us what God abominates (6:16-19).

&&& Going through the Old Testament, I especially marvel at the ages of the characters – Noah lived 950 years, Shem lived 600 years, Job 210 and Moses 120. It makes me appreciate old age more. Great respect is shown for elders in the Old Testament, and I think it is a lesson the twenty-first century could re-learn. These older books place emphasis on genealogy, the ancestral lines people came from, with heritage and traditions being of great importance. Of course, the most important heritage is of the spiritual kind, and when arriving at our heavenly ancestral home, earthly lineage isn’t going to matter.

&&& It would be remiss of me not to mention the glorious gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ, found in the New Testament. Everyone must have their favorite among Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Again and again we turn to the accounts of Jesus’ life to rediscover what He taught us. His parables provide the primary lessons. For me, it’s the Beatitudes which call to me with repetition. “Blessed are those… poor in spirit, meek, pure, merciful…” and those who are persecuted and seek justice and peace. For their reward is in heaven. At this point I want to jump up and say, “Yes, Lord! It is I.” I feel he is speaking directly to me. Of course, the telling of Christ’s Passion is the most moving writing of all. Who cannot be affected, indeed, overcome by what our Lord suffered in His agony and crucifixion? As we are told in my spouse’s favorite verse of the whole Bible – John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

&&& Christ’s story doesn’t end there. In the New Testament we also find the Acts of the Apostles. These first letters of the apostles to the newly formed church are the beginnings of Christian apostleship and light the way for followers right up to today. My husband, a fan of St. Paul, reads to me his missives. Paul tells us how the Holy Spirit works to bring us in line with God’s will. He is the author of the famous verse, “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8:38) Christ’s sacrifice makes us right with God, overcoming sin. I especially appreciate this verse from Paul’s letter to the Romans 10:5-15, where he refers to Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news,” for that is what I try to do as a writer. With this saying, I know my work is blessed.

&&& Finally, the book of Revelation was something that I was not allowed to read as a child. As I take it up under my golden years lamp, there is a feeling of covertness, of secrets finally being revealed to me. As many times as Revelation has been interpreted, I feel the need to step away from all of them and just read it for myself to make of it what I will. I see warnings against evil and rewards promised for the good, but ultimately I focus on the meaning of faith. We are to “endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end.” (14:12) Though the earth’s waters will dry up, the Lord has life-giving water (Revelation 7:17). God will wipe away our tears and there will be no more sorrow or pain. Evil will be gone forever. (21:4). A song of victory will be proclaimed in heaven (19:6). The feeling is one of excitement, because it shows me that there is more of the story to come, and we will be astonished. “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (22:20)