It might as well be Wingdings...

I was up rather early this morning (ok, 7:30) getting ready to meet a few of my co-workers at work to watch the Canada vs. US hockey game. First and foremost, Canada won! Huzzah! So, we're all sitting around and a trailer plays for a new film coming out this year called "Noah". Obviously, it's about Noah, like biblical Noah and his ark. As the trailer is playing, the only going through my head is, "Dang, they have some terrific actors lined up for this; I hope they do the story justice". I could hear my co-workers murmuring something about not knowing the story and trying to figure out what it's about. Naturally, I chirp up and say, "It's the Bible story of Noah and the ark", suddenly proud to have some Bible knowledge, however basic that answer was. My manager looks at me and says, "Well, then, I won't be watching that." Kind of taken aback, I ask why not, thinking it was more of a stick-it-to-the-Man motive. She looks at me and said in total seriousness, "I don't understand all of it, all that Jesus Christ nonsense". It hit me like a ton of bricks, and while everyone continued their rowdiness as the game came back on, the only thing I could think of was that people don't understand the Bible.

I know that such an obvious thing that I should understand, having attended public school my entire life and being friends with a surprising number of...hooligans, for lack of a better word. But after the past few years being so fully immersed in a Bible-culture, it was suddenly such a strange thought to realize that most people don't "get" the Bible.

Afterall, we're not just talking about cool stories that you read and move on afterwards; we're talking historical accounts about real people in real situations talking to...a real God? What? I mean, from an outside perspective, I'm totally fine with the idea that the Bible is based on facts, accurate historical tellings. However, when you insert God, and all that that implies, it kind of changes things, doesn't it? It's no longer simply a "story" or "history", it's "religious" and that throws people for a loop. 

I began thinking that it's kind of as if some people read the Bible as if it's written in the font Wingdings; you know that those little symbols mean something, but you haven't the foggiest clue as to what! I used to try to write secret messages to people using Wingdings, but would just end up confusing myself as I tried to "re-read" what I wrote, which is nearly impossible...unless you're fluent in Wingdings!

 Anyways, so after thinking about this, I started wondering, "How do we un-wingding-ify the Bible so it makes sense without getting all religious?". How do you take something as beautiful and sacred as the Bible and simplify it quickly enough that even those with a miniscule attention span can hear what you're saying and actually take it in? What's more, should I have used that opportunity to try to explain things to my co-workers and manager? Sure, the hockey game was on and things were getting pretty intense, but shouldn't the Bible be something that we can talk about easily, rather than dredging on and on about? I don't know and I'm really just blabbering now, but it certainly got me thinking! Anyone have any suggestions?