Random Thoughts about the Book of Isaiah (and the Bible in General)
If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I'm all over the place. Topics for posts vary from true stigmas to random thoughts I have about life.
So, you shouldn't be surprised that seemingly out of the blue I'm writing a post about a well-known, but only partially loved, book in the Old Testament. You also shouldn't be surprised that I'm extremely honest about how I feel concerning a topic - even when it's against what many believe.
Let me 'splain...
First, some background.
I have a friend who was an acquaintance but with whom recently I've gotten to know better. She has a podcast called "Meet Me in Isaiah." According to its Facebook page, this podcast's main message is to "share the Good News of Jesus Christ by creatively promoting Isaiah 53. Written about 700 years before Jesus' birth, Isaiah 53 is a precise and concise description of Who He is and what He did for us."
Here's part 1 of the honesty portion of this blog: I have heard her ask many times for people she could interview for her podcast at meetings we've both attended . I think she's even asked me directly if I would do so at some of them.
For about the past six months or so, we've also been trying to schedule another podcast she helps with that concerns my life as a creative freelancer. A couple of weeks ago we finally were able to pull it off and get that dang podcast recorded. (Whew!)
After we were done, it happened. She directly asked.
There were two problems that arose - 1) I wanted to say yes and 2) I had no idea what I'd talk about.
Now for part 2 of being blatantly honest: I don't read the Bible. I haven't in years... decades. The summarized version as to why has to do with my past in various churches.
You see, the vast majority of churches say they know that they way their interpretation of scripture is the only truly correct one. But how can they all be right? Since it's not possible, which one is?
Are any of them?
After I started thinking about this, reading scripture became an overwhelming task, a chore. Constantly trying to discern the "right" interpretation of a verse, chapter or book was too much. Wondering if the Bible was really true (yes, I'm one of those Christians)... Knowing that translations are often different and trying to decide which one is correct. Questioning over and over - are any of them?
Then into the picture comes another friend I have nicknamed Pineapple. Pineapple, who feels very much like I do about church (more on that another time). Pineapple, who loves Jesus and loves me. Pineapple, who absolutely loves scripture...
She has spent probably the past year praying that I would once again love Scripture. She doesn't judge me or push me but she would give me tiny nudges about it just about every time we talked.
One day she gave me a gift - a children's Bible, one that is somewhat unique in that all of the stories tie into how Jesus is woven throughout all of those 66 books.
I appreciated the gift greatly, but even a children's Bible was too much. It was placed on a shelf on the table beside where I sit in my den and occasionally I would pull it out, trying to make myself read it. I would put it where I would see it whenever I sat there - with the thought that this placement would remind me to read it.
Time would pass and I would put it back on the shelf with other books - feeling guilty whenever I did so. After a while I would pull it back out - feeling guilty whenever I did so (because I still wouldn't read it). Even without being pressured, the guilt was there. I knew I should be reading it but still couldn't make myself.
I simply couldn't get past being overwhelmed about opening it.
Then, about a month ago, some stuff changed in my heart. I started actually reading.
So, when my podcaster friend recently approached me about being on "Meet Me in Isaiah," this time I thought about it instead of instantly dismissing it.
Since then I've been thinking about what verse or verses I would highlight if I took her up on the offer. One thing that I still feel strongly about is that pulling a random verse out of the Bible can be risky. Yes, it's possible to do so to a helpful affect, but it's also very possible to pull a phrase, sentence, or paragraph out of context, which can be at best misleading, and at worst, downright dangerous.
So, I didn't want to randomly choose a verse.
Isaiah is also a complex, somewhat scary, book that includes prophesies of the downfall of several places.
Due to having anxiety disorder and panic disorder, I already don't watch the news. I'm just not up at this time for delving into those parts. However, if I pick and choose the chapters I read, it's just a longer method of cherry-picking verses.
So reading the entire book of Isaiah is out. Randomly picking a chapter is out. And though there are a LOT of amazing verses in Isaiah, those are all well-known. I'll bet those verses have been discussed on the podcast many times.
I just realized that this whole post explains what I said in the first place - how reading the Bible is extremely complicated, perplexing, and frustrating - at least for me.
Now I just have to figure out what to do about it... and hopefully one day I can be a guest on the "Meet Me in Isaiah" podcast without anxiety.
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