I think too often we (Christians) read the stories found in the Bible and, while we don't do it consciously, we forget the reality of what we are reading. Yes, we acknowledge the reality of a God story in our hearts. But in our minds, we too often forget that the words in that amazing book are written about real people, in a real place, at a real time; people who dealt with real situations in a very real world and who were loved by a very real God.
It's not just a story.
I have too easily fallen into the trap of forgetting that I could have talked with these people if I had been there. They are just like my neighbors, my coworkers, my family and friends. They lived and breathed and played. They had jobs and laughed and cried. They got angry with one another, questioned their faith in God, and sought out salvation. They mourned the loss of those who died. And they celebrated the birth of a new child.
It's not just a story.
It's easy to look back at their story and wonder where our place would have been. But you don't need to take away the technology and the fast-paced reality of our world today. You don't need to change cultures. There's no requirement to speak a different language. Stripping away the layers of time and distance are not necessary. The reality is, right here and now, we all find ourselves living in the words of their story, dealing with the same situations, being loved by the very same God. Because the truth of it is, it's not just a story.
It's our story.
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