That which is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible reveals much to us. Yet we struggle with that because our hearts are hardened and our minds confused.
The more we seek detailed explication in written words about the Word of God, the greater the legalistic our minds become. We are easily confused by all the words, yet we keep seeking more words when words fail us; thus our confusion. When confusion clouds our minds, our hearts become harden to the fullness of God's revelation. If we focus only on the text of the Bible, we can too easily miss the reason the words were written in the first place. The Bible encourages us to have a relationship with God. The Bible is a collection of God’s love letters to us. And the Word of his Love is Jesus.
God did not become the Incarnate Word to be reduced down to the written word. The Word was made flesh, not text. We must fall in love with the person of Jesus, the Christ, the Savior, the Incarnate Word of God, the Logos, the King of Kings, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity.
What do I mean? Well let me recognize first the irony I'm about to embark here. Yes, I am attempting to explain through the use of written words that which is best experienced through a relationship. The Word of God must first be understood as incarnate. That is, God became man in the person of Jesus, who is the Son of God sent by God the Father for the Salvation of all.
The Holy Spirit dwells with us today to guide and protect the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church gathers believers together so they may have a shared relationship with God and one another. Our relationship with God is initiated by God and our response in faith is to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. This is why the Word was written down, so all may come to believe and worship God who brings us the promise of everlasting life in an eternal communion with Him.
Yes, each of us is to have a relationship with God. More specifically, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the Incarnate Word entered into our reality to change minds and hearts so all may be saved from the darkness of sin and eternal death. In order for us to be saved, each of us must have a lifelong relationship with God. Jesus shows us that way. The Bible is our written invitation to that relationship.
How are we to enter into and sustain this relationship? We say yes to God’s invitation to love every moment of every day. This is only possible if we accept God's help, that is, His grace. Once we say yes to enter into a relationship with God, we require grace to transform us and to sustain the relationship. Grace comes not from the text on the page, but through the loving actions of the Church brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Where do we find God's grace? We find His grace in the Church. While the Church uses the written word to help communicate God's Word, the Church is not a library. The Church is the Body of Christ, commissioned to boldly proclaim the Gospel. God does not call us to love the Bible, He calls us to love Him.
We are to be nourished by God's Word. The Word of God is Jesus Christ. We are to become one with Christ so in Him we can be one with God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ calls us to love like God so we may be in communion with the Blessed Holy Trinity, the source and model of love.
Consider the difference between a person and a book about a person. Which is best to know the person? The person, of course. Yes, a book can help someone begin to know the person, but a book is nothing compared to the person.
So too the written text about God is nothing compared to the divine persons of the Trinity. If you have ever been in a loving relationship, you know that even the most touching love letter cannot compare to the loving touch of the actual person. God touches us most intimately through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Love.
The written word in the Bible is a love letter to you. God has given you the greatest love letter through the Church. We continue to reread this love letter everyday in special acts of love called prayer and worship. We also continue to unpack the richness of this love letter through the great Deposit of Faith, that is Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
The fullness of God's revelation is found not in a book but in the person of Jesus Christ. We are to love not the text in the Bible. We are to love the person of Jesus, who leads us to the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
