Bible Reading: Exercise or Encounter?

The discussion on Bible reading continues at Christians in Context. A reader shares that he thinks of Bible reading in terms of exercise, particularly jogging. His point, I think, is that Bible reading may involve delayed satisfaction, but it's genuine satisfaction, nonetheless.

Totally valid. I was struck, though by the reader's metaphor of jogging, since it's it’s essentially a solitary activity.

I’m not faulting the reader, since most of us feel the same way about reading the Bible, but maybe it’s problematic that we often think of Bible reading as a solitary activity.

I’m reminded of Andrew’s earlier comments about prevailing acquisitive, consumerist attitudes. It’s not only that we want instant gratification, it’s also that we approach the Bible as yet another source of information for our consumption, like Wikipedia or US Magazine.

It would be better, I think, if our metaphors for reading were more relational. For example, maybe Bible reading should be more akin to catching up with one’s spouse after work, rather than jogging.

We can’t change metaphors or thinking patterns by fiat. Our attitudes need to change for our metaphors to change. But I think attempts to rethink Bible reading in relation terms, as an “encounter” rather than an “activity” or “exercise”, would be fruitful.