PUT YOURSELF IN THE STORY
We hear stories from the Scriptures every Sunday. If you’ve participated in a Bible Study you may have gone deeper into history, or learned more about the writers. But there is a way to study the Scriptures that can make an impact on our relationship with God, who wants us to know more intimately about His incredible love and plans for us. St. Ignatius Loyola is known for his great ability to meditate and his teachings on a unique way to more fully engage ourselves in praying with the Scriptures. He suggests we put ourselves into the story and engage our senses, imagining what we might hear or see or feel or maybe even smell. There are many amazing stories in both Testaments to ponder in this manner.
Can you imagine yourself witnessing the humble act of a woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped them dry with her hair? Can you smell the fragrance of the perfumed oil she used, and then hear the judgmental protests from those in the household about what a sinner this woman is, questioning Jesus about how he could allow such a person to touch Him? Would you have been moved to pity watching the woman or even marvelled at her courage? Would you have heard the voice of Jesus as he taught the protesters about forgiveness and then tenderly forgave her sins? Or can you picture yourself as a guest at a wedding in Cana, overhearing a conversation between a thoughtful mother and the Son she knew could save a family from embarrassment? Did you notice the servants’ confusion as they carried massive jugs of water as they were instructed? Did you taste the difference in the wine and wonder who this person could possibly be? Pick your own favorite story, immerse yourself in the scene and feel how much greater an impact that story can have on your relationship with God and His Son as they become more real.
We can do this with any story or any character in the Bible. It can change what we read from just being written text, to the ability to apply what we witnessed to our own lives today, when we might hear or see or smell something that brings us back to when we stepped into the story.