By Eric D. Barreto

Type “the Bible is like” into Google, and you will find a deluge of images to which the Bible is compared: a lion, a room in a house, a fully clothed person, Santa Claus, let alone all the less-than-positive comparisons I found.

From the obscure to the ridiculous, the profound to the incomprehensible, we all have certain models, metaphors, or lenses through which we view Scripture. How often do we step back to examine our perception of Scripture and its role in our lives? How can we challenge young people to grow beyond simplistic metaphors of the Bible and discover the complexity of the biblical witness?

The following activity can help us uncover some of the lenses through which we view the Bible. Too often, we do not realize we have jammed the fullness of Scripture into a narrow model or metaphor. These narrow models invite Scripture to become something as simple as an instruction manual or even a Magic 8 ball. The goal of this activity is to provide new, unexpected metaphors that allow youth to grow in their perhaps limited perception of Scripture.

Preparing
Write “The Bible is like ____” on several slips of paper, filling in the blank differently for each slip. Feel free to use any of the examples listed below or create some of your own. Make sure to supply paper and pencils (or a piece of posterboard and a marker) for each group to record their brainstorming results.

Examples

An instruction manual
Mirror
Magic 8 Ball
Quicksand
A good friend
A human cell
A letter from God
A fortress
A teen magazine
A parent

The Activity
When your youth arrive, divide them into several small groups (keeping in mind various age groups and relative knowledge of the Bible) and give each group a slip of paper you’ve prepared, as well as paper and pencil (or posterboard and marker) to record their brainstorming results. Provide the groups ten minutes or so to list the positive and negative attributes of their image. Ask the youth to consider these questions: What does the image help us understand about the Bible? What does the image leave out?

After each group has had time to list their ideas, have them share their results with the rest of the group. Encourage the other students to add to each list as you move along.

Questions for Discussion
Once each group has presented an image, consider asking the following questions to help summarize the activity:
We all view the Bible through a particular lens or model; for believers, the Bible is not “just a book.” How did the youth think of the Bible when they were younger? How has their perception changed as they’ve matured?
Which image(s) from this activity particularly helped the youth understand the Bible in a new or unexpected way?
If the entire group had to pick their “top three” images, which ones would they pick? Why? Which image does the group find least satisfactory? Why?

Going A Step Further
Once each group has presented their image and the class has had an opportunity for discussion, ask the youth to think of other biblical comparisons or images not already discussed. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each image.

A doctoral candidate at Emory University and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Eric is a regular volunteer with youth at Peachtree Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.