Lessons from years gone by, in finding the right relationship with the Bible

FORTY years ago, I used to lead of team of young Christian students running a summer playscheme.

One year I shared a room with Matthew, a 16-year-old volunteer. On our first night he was reading his Bible and, so in order to make conversation, I asked what he was reading. “Matthew’s Gospel” he said. I enquired: “Anything interesting?” “Not really,” Matthew replied. “I’ve read it before. This is really just revision.”

Any thought of mocking his response was prevented by a memory of myself at his age. Then, I was part of a Christian youth group, but more on the fringe than committed believer. I had been encouraged to read the Bible and I did try, but there was more of duty than joy about the whole process. When I went away to a five-day Christian youth conference, I read the all the daily readings before going so that I wouldn’t have to be bothered while away. It was as though I thought God would be impressed with a tick-list showing I done the ‘right’ things. How wrong I was.

At the conference, I slept in a dormitory with other young teenage lads. One of the things that struck me was that every morning the majority were to be found reading their Bibles. The significant thing was that they were reading because they wanted to. They had a personal relationship with the God the Bible spoke of.

I returned home both shaken and stirred. The young men I had met had an experience of faith that was a million miles away from my attempt to keep the rules and somehow to please God.

I was in the position of Tony Hancock,

in the sketch The Blood Donor, who recorded all his charitable giving. The idea was that, if God asked why he should be allowed into Heaven, he could show his list of donations and say: “Here, add that lot up!”

A few weeks after the conference, I made my choice to get to know God rather than simply feel I knew about him. I hope Matthew did too.

>