In the beginning was the Word. ~John, the apostle
It starts with an alphabet.
A wondrous journey begins when a child masters the mystery of words. Do you remember that crayon-colored moment, when, in a blink of understanding, black scribbles on paper became something so much more?
A is for apple, and adventure.
The world began with an alphabet carefully arranged, with words flung into the void. And the world is sustained, alphabetically. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning, and the end, Jesus announced.*
The Word of God, an unusual name. God speaks to humanity in the form of a person and as revelation, fashioned into consonants and vowels we can understand. Words, laser-like, penetrate past our defense to the dark questions we’ve forgotten. “Is there a God? If so, what is he like? Who am I? Why am I here? Why am I so messed up? Is there any hope for this beautiful, demented world?”
God answers with a story, plotted on onion skin paper. The story of Jesus, the Christ.
We’re careless with this treasure, the Bible. Though we hold dynamite, we act as if words are lifeless and safely contained within dry-inked boundaries.
- We shop the Bible like a discounted warehouse. Aisle two–rebuke for our teenager. Aisle ten–the encouragement bin, all-purpose verses for every occasion.
- Or we hold the Bible like a magic eight-ball. Close your eyes, open to a random page, and point. There’s your answer to whatever question, maybe.
- Or we cut and paste the Bible, tailoring its wisdom to suit our taste.
We don’t treat other true stories this way, do we?
An Alphabet Adagio
Adagio: a musical term meaning, play slowly and calmly, at ease. The composer invites us to enjoy the experience, not rushing to the finale.
In the coming weeks, we will savor an alphabet adagio, a slow and thrilling look at the story we find ourselves in. We begin with A is for Artist…
Have you thought about the power of alphabet?
[Subscribe to e-mail to ensure you don’t miss a letter!]
*Revelation 22:13
