There's a new Bible at a Christian Bookstore near you. The Green Bible highlights over 1,000 Bible verses in a pleasant-to-read green shade perfect for the Christian environmentalist. It also offers a foreword by Desmond Tutu and supplementary writings from St. Francis of Assisi and Pope John Paul II among others.
As a Christian whose political views sway to the left I think I'm supposed to be a fan.
I'm not.
I mean, give me a break. Should the publishers create a White Letter Bible for the white-supremacists or KKK who attend our American churches? How about the Gray Letter edition for the skeptic?
For my part, I like the environment. I even believe we should take time to praise God’s handiwork, to admire His beautiful and profound creation and even to protect the environment. But I don’t need The Green Bible to assist me in that. So here’s my suggestion for those of you who are tempted by the attractive cover or the fact that it’s been okayed by the Forest Stewardship Council:
Go to your neighborhood Christian Book Store and look for The Green Bible. If they let you, thumb through it, read the supplementary material and browse the green verses. Then close the Bible, look at the price tag, put it back on the shelf and leave the store. When you get home take one of your Bibles off the shelf and read it. Find those green verses and highlight them with your own green highlighter. Then go online and follow this link to the Wycliff Bible translators, read about the Rangi of Tanzania people group, use your credit card and type in the amount that The Green Bible costs.
Now you’ve done much more for advancing the Kingdom of God than those Green Bible publishers have.
See, if you are reading the Bible through green lenses, you’re missing the point 99% of the time. When Jesus talks about the vine and the branches he’s not caring for the environment. When he died on the wooden cross he was not crying “Father, forgive them for they know not which tree they killed”.
Southern Baptist leader Richard Land (who, with a name like that should endorse this edition) is right on when he says: “Sure it’s important, but when they asked Jesus what was most important, he said, ‘Love your God, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Amen!
2 comments:
You crack me UP!
To the Jerm...
Dude, you had me rolling! Particularly the comment about Richard Land needing to endorse this book because of his name.
When books are printed trees must die right? So a green tree died so that a Green Bible could save the environment... Isn't there a lesson in there somewhere?
Why didn't they release the book in an electronic format only? wouldn't that make more sense?
You are keepin it real man...great blog!
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