The magazine reported that medical schools in the U.S. have a rigorous curriculum that can make their students less empathetic to people's problems. And I think the same goes for law and engineering schools.
With such rigorous curriculums offered by graduate schools in America, it must be easy for their students to negate the Bible as a trivial book. I mean, how can reading the Bible compare with the gruelling studies required in law, medical and engineering schools in the U.S.?
But a casual look at our modern world reveals that we need the Bible as much as we need the knowledge offered in universities. Let's analyze, for instance, the news that is reported in the newspapers every day.
Over the past two years, I have been ardently reading the "Nation", Kenya's leading newspaper. In my readings, I have noted that even though the news change every day, the underlying themes remain the same, day in and day out.
The underlying themes? They are what politicians are saying, how government funds are being stolen, what tragedies have taken place, how people are killing each other, how women are raped, which children have been defiled, how businesses are faring, and how some folks are succeeding in their endeavors.
All those reports in the newspapers are enough to make us fearful of the future. They can also make us sick with jealousy. And we can't successfully deal with that fear and jealousy with only the knowledge offered at the universities. That's where the Bible comes in.
The Bible has advice on every issue we humans face during our time on this planet. It talks about theft, corruption, leadership, and human rights. And it also talks about how married couples should live with each other and raise their children.
Personally, I have seen the relevance of the Bible in my life. In April 2007 when I was leaving Starehe Boys' Centre where I had my high school and college education, I was laden with a lot of knowledge and a number of skills. I could, for example, create a website and play Mozart's "Sonata in C" on the piano.
Yet even with all that knowledge and skills, I struggled with timidity and confusion. I could hardly look people in the eye, something that made me an easy target of slander, bullying and suspicion.
Besides struggling with timidity and confusion, I was also prone to feeling bitter, guilty and jealous. And in 2008 when I was a second year student at the university, I turned rebellious. Then I became slothful and gluttonous - bad habits that took me over a decade to overcome.
Those experiences, unpleasant though they were, have made me appreciate the Bible more, for I have found in it the solutions to overcoming my bad habits and negative thinking patterns. And that appreciation of the Bible has made me subscribe to daily devotionals on the internet. These days, I delight in studying the Bible as much as I do in eating.
Now that I understand the Scriptures more, I agree with whoever said that the Bible is God's great love letter to us. You'll also agree with that if you've studied the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Although the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah are not as easy to digest as the books of Psalms and Proverbs, they have some inspirational passages worthy of memorization. Who hasn't heard of Jeremiah 29:11 which talks of God's wonderful plans for our future? My favorite passage though, is the following one from the book of Isaiah:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)I like that passage so much that I sometimes recite it in my thinking, especially when I find myself worrying about the future. It often soothes my soul with its assurance that God is directing my steps.
My beloved reader, I encourage you to also include the Bible in your reading repertoire. Read novels, yes, and books related to your field of endeavor. But don't neglect the Bible since it has the potential to set you free from guilt, worry, jealousy and bitterness. It can also heal you, comfort you and feed your soul. Adieu!
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NEW! NEW! NEW! If you missed my social media update three days ago, let me take this opportunity to inform you that I have produced a new hymn titled "One Day". Just click on that link in blue to listen to the hymn.
