When I was a kid, Sunday school stories were accompanied by fannelboard re-enactments.
Jesus Christ, the disciples, the Sea of Galilee and all kinds of other things were put in front of us to help our understanding and keep our attention. More than 45 years later, I can still see them. They were useful.
Unfortunately, sometimes people grow up and read the Bible in a way that is as flat and lifeless as those fannelboard figures. One simple way to counteract that problem is to pay attention to the emotions within the text.
For years, I missed that part. I was so busy looking for the correct teaching that I overlooked what the people were going through as they interacted with God. To get a clear picture of what faith is really like, we must factor in the emotional element.
Take Mark’s account of Jesus’ resurrection. We could boil it down to the basic facts: the women got up at sunrise, went to the tomb, found the stone rolled away, met an angel and ran back to the city (Mark 16:1-8). That is correct, but it misses a lot of the truth of that morning.
Mark notes that the women were “alarmed” (Mark 16:5). Other versions say they were frightened, amazed, bewildered, struck with terror, dumbfounded, astonished, startled or panic-stricken. He then adds, “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (verse 8). This does not sound like the serene, calm, happy resurrection morning that I have always pictured.
Here is why this matters: when we wash human emotion out of the Biblical account, we end up telling a story that is neither true nor helpful. It makes following God sound safe, easy and comfortable. However, the truth is that spiritual growth often takes place in times of fear, confusion or bewilderment (Think about Abraham, Noah, Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Paul, etc).
Those emotions do not indicate that we have lost touch with God. Rather, they may be the best indication that he is near and doing something in us and around us that we did not predict and cannot control.
If you are confused or struggling right now, hold on. God has not forgotten or abandoned you.
In fact, he may be just about to do something you never dreamed possible.
