This post will be (somewhat) out of the norm for this blog, but hey . . . it's a weekend. This will also be, to some readers' surprise, a short post. It will be a quick summary, then a question, and then a follow-up comment.
The summary
Today, after church, my wife and I went to a local cafe for some brunch. While we were waiting for our name to be called, we were perusing the tables of books in front of the neighboring bookstore. In the midst of our searching, another couple past behind us and we caught only the question asked by the gentleman (see below).
The question
"What book or books would Jesus buy?"
The follow-up
My wife looked to me, once the couple had passed, and said with a pinch of humor, "Jesus wouldn't buy any books; he already knows everything." I responded in the opposite direction by saying, "I don't think the guy meant 'buy books for knowledge sake'; I think he meant, 'buy books that Jesus would find intriguing'."
This exchange revealed a controlling issue within interpretation. A single question was asked, and two different interpretations of that question immediately emerged. (I'm sure if we asked the gentleman what he meant, a third interpretation would have been revealed). But I would like to side-step that particular issue and open this same question up to the readers. Interpret the question however you like. My concern is how you would respond to the question: What book(s) would Jesus buy? (You can even throw in some examples if you wish).
3 comments:
on a normal day i dont think i would respond. i would simply nod, half smile, turn my back and walk away. it doesnt even merrit response.
however, if i was caught in the right moment i might respond with Harry Potter....dang good books.
He wouldn't buy any. He doesn't believe in such high levels of consumption. Seriously though, that's a good question.
I like Jody's answer. :)
And like Justin, I'm not sure I like the question - but I'll bite. Jesus, I think, would buy books that made him think - even those he disagreed with. Because interacting with other people and their thoughts is how we ourselves grow. I think he would read widely.
Of course, I only think that because its what I do. So in answering this question, I'm guilty of trying to make Jesus look like me. Which is part of why I don't like the question. And I'm not sure there's much in the Bible to help us make an answer, except when dealing with extreme cases.
Of course, Jesus would NEVER buy Harry Potter! It has magic! And witches! And lack of concern for authority! And other bad stuff!
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