Who Writes This Stuff?
by David Beavers
Have you read the Bible lately?
Try it. Try something like Philippians or the Gospel of Mark.
Who writes this stuff? Really. Some of it seems so “out there.” Where do people get such ideals? Where do their perspectives come from?
The writers of Scripture were human. They didn’t always live up to the ideals they wrote about. Hardly. They often missed the mark. Fell way short of their own ideals.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. Most of us fall short of our ideals about daily life, raising kids, handling money, and more. But when we see that gap in others—the chasm between what they say and how they live—we’re often quick to judge. We question their integrity. Label them as hypocrites.One of these writers had the audacity to tell us to love each another as Christ loved us. He’s the same person who helped a group of men to murder Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He actually stood by, holding their coats, while they did the dirty work.
His name was Saul—a.k.a.,The Apostle Paul.
Once, the Apostle Paul got so fed up with a situation he kicked a colleague off his missionary team. Paul was impatient, because John Mark was immature—a real momma’s boy. Some time later, Paul requested by name that John Mark become his assistant. This same John Mark—the momma’s boy—went on to write what we now call The Gospel of Mark.Then there is Peter. The man who called himself “a witness of Christ’s sufferings” was nowhere to be found when Jesus was hanging on the cross. He was hiding—cowering in fear. A complete no-show, in spite of all his bravado and overtures of undying loyalty to Jesus.
Me too
I am a man who went to seminary, served as a pastor, taught the Bible several times a week, counseled people. And then....
Then I made some horrific choices that shredded relationships, undermined my integrity and destroyed my confidence. This period in my life was nothing less than a spiritual wilderness.
Why am I telling you these things?
None of this is meant to demean Paul, or Peter or even me.
My point is that there's hope.
We know what happened to Peter and to Paul. Some of you know the stuff that happened in my life. The fact that I am telling you there was stuff is a miracle.
If nothing else, a transformed life should point to the possibility that God is up to something in our lives—all our lives.
It is not always apparent to people watching, especially the critics, but God never gives up on us. He persists in our lives, not because we are basically good folks. Far from it! He persists because He is good. And He is faithful.
And did I mention that He loves and accepts us
without condition? Well, He does. Even when
we are in the wilderness.
[I recently read a blog by Ken Boa, which shaped some of my thoughts in this essay. Thanks, Ken]


