Yep - that's me on the right. Stupid horses! |
I pretty
much gave up on horses after I discovered motorcycles (they go faster, have softer
seats and are easier to clean up after).
But my sister Suzie stayed with the horses, training them and continues
to be a champion dressage rider. In all
of this childhood experience of horse riding, there was a constant and that was
the horse shoer (the fancy name is farrier).
And one of the most impressive things about the farrier was his massive
anvil. Like people’s feet, each horse’s
hoof has a unique shape. So, the job of
the farrier was to shape the steel horseshoe to the shape of the hoof. If you have ever had the chance to watch one
at work, they are a bit of an artist with a keen eye for detail. They have to get it right because if they
don’t it will affect the horse and believe me, you really don’t want to tick
off a horse owner. It just isn’t pretty.
If you were
to get an up close look at the anvil, you would see it may have some nicks in
it but, with all the beating it takes, the shape is unchanged. The horseshoe is changed when it comes into
contact with the anvil. Over time, the hammer
that beats on the horseshoe and the anvil is changed as well. Everything wears out – except the anvil. The anvil shapes everything it comes into
contact with yet does not change its shape.
The Bible
has always had its critics. And yet it
continues to endure, shaping the cultures and lives that come in contact with
it. In it we come to discover the
unchanging character of God. Orthodox
Christianity holds it in high regard, seeing it in the same way the psalmist
did: “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your
righteous rules endures forever.” (Psalm 119:160, ESV)
A follower
of Jesus doesn’t worship the Bible – she worships the God the Bible reveals to
us. And yet, there is confidence that
what is contained in the pages is the very truth of God, his “special
revelation” to us. There is the belief
that through the 1600 years it was written, by the over forty authors and three
languages, God was in the details guiding the process and preserving his truth.
Have you
read the Bible lately? On March 5th
Cold Springs Church is going to be engaging in a community Bible reading
through the New Testament. It follows
the season of Lent, which is the 40 days of preparation leading up to Easter. Why don’t you join us? You will be able to find the readings on our
Facebook page and on our website (coldspringschurch.net).
Beat on it
all you want. As you do, you will
discover its profound ability to shape you while it remains unchanging.
Peace and grace,
David