READING THE BIBLE WITH THE DAMNED

READING THE BIBLE WITH THE DAMNED, by Bob Ekblad
Published by Westminster/John Knox Press, 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0-664-22917-7
US $17.95

The title of this book grabbed me, as for several years I have wrestled with the problem of preaching to the people who are not in church on Sundays- especially those who are aware of their sin and feel they cannot approach God, for fear of being condemned.

Ekblad, an ordained Presbyterian, is executive director of Tierra Nueva (New Earth), in Washington State. One of the ministries of Tierra Nueva is Bible Studies at the Skagit County Jail. The book borrows form real life Bible studies that Ekblad has led there, among men with all kinds of criminal records, many of whom are also illegal immigrants.

The book is very practical and chronicles step by step some specific Bible studies, including the response from the class members.

Take for example chapter one, “Reading Scripture for the Liberation of the Not-Yet-Believing.” Ekblad describes how Jesus gave the gift of hope to the disciples on the Emmaus Road, concluding, “Luke’s description of what Jesus deemed necessary for disillusioned disciples invites today’s church to change our ways of thinking about God.” (p. 2)

For Ekblad, the important thing is to challenge the theological assumptions of those who come to his study. Many of them come with the ability to “talk the talk,” as one of my Ketchikan colleagues says. They have heard the gospel and its explanation many times, and Ekblad says this is the biggest obstacle to their receiving hope. So, Ekblad offers five important things to do: Directly challenge common assumptions about God by offering counter images form scripture; Challenge their views of who God is by revealing Jesus to them; Welcome alternative and creative interpretations, modeling this yourself so they can become comfortable with the notion; Challenge interpretations that tell us what we have to do to be saved, and offer interpretations that tell what God has done to save us; and pay special attention to the silences in scriptures, taking note of what scripture DOES NOT say.

Ekblad’s specific examples include Genesis 1 (he asks the prisoners what is dark and chaotic in their lives), the creation of human beings in God’s image (What do you think God looks like?), Genesis 2 (What did God tell Adam and Eve they COULD do?), God’s call of Abraham (who is discovered to be an immigrant), the oppression and liberation of Hagar (the men in the Bible study quickly identified with Hagar!), Exodus 1 (where Egyptians felt threatened by their immigrant neighbors), the call of Moses (God used a murder hiding out from the law), Isaiah 40-55 (God recruits exiles), the Psalms (intimacy and honesty with God), “God’s call of Matthew (“He was doing something bad!”), and Following Jesus (described as a “Good Coyote”. A coyote is someone who leads immigrants through the dessert and across the border, for a fee. They are sometimes honest and sometimes scoundrels, but they all require trust).

Most helpful to me was the offering of a different understanding of how atonement works. To most law-abiding Americans, there is nothing wrong with understanding God as our judge. But to repeat offenders, the judge is not the person who sets them free, but the one who imprisons them. They know they cannot hear a good word from the judge unless they are innocent, or have paid their penalty.

But Ekblad offers a counterimage from scripture: Jesus as the healer. “The notion of sin as sickness and God as spiritual healer is profoundly biblical. In Isaiah 6:9-10, lack of understanding, spiritual blindness and deafness are depicted as spiritual maladies that result form being turned away from God. Returning to the Lord leads to healing.” (p. 56)

Two particular strengths make Ekblad’s method appealing. One, it is scriptural based. Two, it does not throw away the old, standard, reliable theology of mainline churches. Rather, it adds to it and enhances it, revealing a God who seeks out the lost. I thus found the book a good theological read as well as a practical guide for “how to lead Bible study.” Buy it or borrow it as soon as you get a chance!

George R. Pasley