The problem with relevance in Bible study

Conrad Gempf offers a spot-on analogy on what's wrong with approaching Bible study by trying to make it "relevant" to the lives of readers:

We've talked a little bit about the 20th century idea that you have to make the Bible relevant to today in order for people to be interested. It's still such a prevalent myth that I dealt with this. . . using examples drawn from relationships. My wife works in the Health, Safety and Environment group of an oil company. When she talks to me about her day, I have a choice. I could try to filter what she says in terms of what's relevant to my life and interests. I could insist that she work harder at thinking through how she talks to me in terms of how it will impact me. If I love her, though, something strange happens. Things that affect her -- even statistics about non-fatal accidents in Siberia -- become relevant to me because they affect the person I love. It's not her job to make her life into something that suits my tastes. If anything, it's my job to change my ideas about what's interesting and relevant so that I can listen empathetically and stand alongside her.

Amen, brother.