I find my story in a larger story (Part 3)

Let me add one more thing about the Bible's function for Christians and why it's such a powerful tool if wielded correctly.

Think of the Bible as the gauge Christians use to evaluate every encounter in life. Not by a single and isolated verse or story but as a whole. The Bible is the most tangible of the ways God uses to communicate with humans. In it Christians find out who God is in relation to them and how they can relate with him. 

Theoretically that could have been done with a short set of guidelines as well, something like the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes (those pronouncements of Jesus that start with "Blessed are the poor," etc.). But it's hard to form a close emotional bond with something like that. So while these guidelines are found in the Bible, they are woven into a rich tapestry of stories that correspond to the rich tapestry of facets that make everyone's complex personalities. 

If a summary of instructions were all we needed to mature, it seems unlikely that we would need to stay with our parents for two decades or thereabouts before going out on our own. Humans learn slowly. This is partly because life is not a matter of black and white that requires only straightforward answers, and partly because humans are in a constant tension between doing what is (seemingly) good for only me at this moment (the selfishly preferred response) or doing what is good for all people and everything around me (the response that needs a lot of training and reflection to come up with). That's what takes parents a long time to do, and that's why the Bible offers thousands of pages of "training material." 

But the Bible is not the only way God communicates with Christians. In fact, there's nothing that can't be used, whether it's the beauty of his creation that can be seen so clearly in the natural world, the genius of the human spirit that we see in art, literature, and music, the presence of God's Spirit that lives in every Christian, or the guidance that the community provides. But all that is exactly why the Bible plays such a big role. All of the other forms of communication are much more intangible. Nature and art can mislead and beckon to be worshipped itself. There are many voices that sound attractive and reasonable. And my community is diverse and often wrong. What then is it all good for? It can all be evaluated by the knowledge and experience that I or those around me have gained from studying the Bible. Christians are assured that every guidance from God will be in accordance with the message of the Bible. And again: Almost everything can be confirmed by isolated Bible passages, and that's why it's important to learn and study the Bible as a whole, allowing that overall wisdom to inform our perception.

It's like this: When we watch a compelling movie, read a stirring book, or listen to uplifting music, we are changed. Certainly during the experience but also afterward—until the experience fades. Reading the Bible is sort of like that, only more powerful, and, if done habitually, more lasting. By regularly encountering God's story with his people, us, we are changed, and that change allows us to communicate with God through so many other venues as well.

And why is it "personal" and "practical"? Because it involves us with all of our minute details. In fact, the question should be, "How could it not be 'personal' and 'practical'?" We've already agreed that faith is so hard to grasp if it's not present in your own life. Yes, you might be able to see some of the workings of faith in other people's lives, but Christians clearly don't have a monopoly on doing the right thing. Once you personally experience faith, you will realize that faith will inhabit every nook and cranny of your mind and identity. This kind of faith is hyper-personal and has to be practical because it is concerned with the everyday mundane activities of your life as well as the (seemingly) more important aspects and decisions.

Being a Christian means that everything we do and think can be in communication with God. God, who through his Holy Spirit lives in us, helps and comforts us. Is that truly the case for every single Christian at every single point in their lives? Unfortunately not. Is it always available for every Christian at any point? Yes!