Does a bigger Bible make you a better Christian? I've got a friend that seems to always have this huge Bible with him wherever he goes. I've often wondered if he thinks that makes him more pious or more dedicated. Let's say two priests are standing side by side and you're a devout Christian in need of advice on some personal matter, who would you goto? The priest with the Bible so big he carries it in a backpack, or the priest with a travel Bible in his pocket?
Be honest now, who would you choose? Which priest seems to know what he's talking about better? Which priest seems to care more about finding the right answers? Which priest seems more dedicated to his religion?
Okay, let's change the formula. One priest has a church with a membership of three thousand, the other, a country parish of ten, and one of those is a drunk who comes every other Sunday. Now, which church would you goto?
Religion seems to ruffle everyone's feathers so let's look at this differently. Let's pretend a bunch of us go to a baseball game. One team has matching uniforms, new bats, spiffy warm-up equipment, a furry mascot running around the stands. The other is a bunch of scabs, cobbled together from what looks like the unemployment line. They're each wearing something different, only half have on cleats, their mascot is non-existent. Who do you think will win the ballgame? Who do you think are the better players, more dedicated to their profession?
Puts a different spin on it doesn't it? The way we subconciously make decisions and judgments based on appearances?
From the earlier example, most Americans (and maybe the world) reading this would subconciously choose the bigger church because we're all taught by the mass media that bigger is better. It may conflict with our personal tastes but that little seed is ingrained in all of us. Bigger house, bigger salary, bigger car, bigger corporation, bigger boobs. You get the idea.
So who would YOU choose? The priest with the bigger Bible, the newer church, the robes matching his choir, the velvet-lined pulpit? Or would you choose the other out of spite, just to rage against the machine? Stick it to the man? Rub against the grain? Think about your answer carefully, and then think about why you'd choose that answer. You might just learn something about yourself.