Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A man walked into a bookstore to return a purchase. “It’s a Bible,” he said, handing to the clerk at the cash register.  “Was it a gift?” asked the clerk. “No, I bought it for myself,” he said, “and I made a mistake.” “Didn’t you like the translation? Or the format?” “Oh no,” the man said, “the format was clear, and the translation was fine. I made a mistake.” The clerk said, “Well, I need to write down a reason for the return. “In that case,” said the man, “write down that there is a lot in that book which is tough to swallow.”

Before we had GPS, when we traveled, we took with us a road map. One day I realized, although the Bible has some things in it that is tough to swallow, it is our road map. It is our instruction manual.  It is our instruction manual on how to live the best life and be our best selves. I’ve had time that I didn’t want to turn the other cheek. I’ve had times that I didn’t want to love my neighbor as myself. And, I have had times that I didn’t want to forgive seven times seventy! If I must forgive you more than three times, I’m pretty much finished with you! But, when I have done those things, I am being my best self, the person God has intended me to be.

When I look at what’s going on in our world, and especially in our own country, I think about how most of our problems would go away if we all lived by what God gives us in our instruction manual. We pray for the hungry in our world and the instruction manual shows us that it is our responsibility. If we love one another as ourselves, there would be no hunger. We pray for peace, that, too, is our responsibility. If there is not peace in each of our lives, if we think we are better than others, there will never be peace in the world. We pray for the poor and disenfranchised but, again, if we loved one another, that issue would not exist.

Yes, there is a lot in the Bible that “is hard to swallow.” But swallow we must if we are going to be our best selves and our prayer for peace on earth and good will to men is answered. What a different world it would be if we all just did what God instructs us to do. The Bible is NOT a rule book, it is an instruction manual. If we follow the instructions, we will be better people, and the world will be a better place.

— Rev. Tim Trent is the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Andalusia. He can be reached at timothyrtrent@yahoo.com.