Scribbling on the Bible

An exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow has been making the headlines recently. The exhibit is entitled "Untitled 2009" and is part of the "Made in God's Image" exhibition. The item that is presently causing a bit of a stir was suggested by the Metropolitan Community Church in Glasgow and the main thrust of this group is to state that being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) is not a sin. Rev. Jane Clarke from MCC Glasgow commenting on the idea behind the exhibit stated, "Many people will tell you there are no LGBT people in the Bible so we invited visitors to the exhibition to write their names in a Bible to show that there are." This invitation led to a host of people writing some rather obscene comments on the Bible, which I will spare you. Another part of the exhibition had a woman ripping pages from the Bible and stuffing them into her underwear.

Many have rightly stated that it is hard to imagine the Koran being treated in this way. So how should we respond to this sad piece of so called "art"? Firstly on the Bible being treated in this way. We should be filled with sorrow that men and women would abuse the Word of God rather than listen to it. We should be driven to our knees to pray that God would open the eyes of the blind that they would see the glories of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should be like the psalmist with streams of water running down our faces that our fellow human beings would seek to rewrite and therefore reject the message of God.

And as for those who feel that they are left out of the Bible - there is good news. No one is left out of the message of the Bible. All are included - all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God....there is no one righteous not even one. All by nature are enemies of the living God. But the good news is that God so loved the world that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

That little word whosoever is so inclusive. It includes all sorts of sinners. Jesus Christ alone can turn away the wrath of God that rests on men and women because of their sin - whatever form that sin takes. That whosoever means that Jesus can transform any life, He can make new creations. So if you are reading this please don't feel left out. God speaks about you in his Word - you are a sinner and His Son Jesus Christ is able to save sinners. There is wonderful good news that corrupt and sinful lives can be left behind and the image of God can be remade in you day by day. Paul wrote to believers in Corinth Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6v9-11

We should pray that as men and women look at this exhibit they will be overcome with the thought that to seek to rewrite what God has said is utter folly and to listen to the Word of the God, who will not be silenced, is the wise option. We should pray that no matter what brand of sin is ruining people's lives that rather than try to find excuse for it that they will flee to Jesus Christ, repent and find the transforming power of the gospel to leave lives of sin behind.