When I was eight years old, my older sister Mary gave me a New Testament Bible for my birthday. I’d be lying if I told you I loved it. Heck, I was a kid—I would have much preferred a football for that matter. I’d also be lying if I told you I read that “Good News for Modern Man” Bible cover to cover. Nope—I tossed it away, together with all my worn-down number two pencils, comic books, jettisoned paper clips, and other “worthless” paraphernalia discarded in my moldy desk drawer.

Even as a teenager, I never got around to reading that Bible. I had added to my collection by then, “borrowing” a copy here or there from a random hotel room nightstand. Oh sure, I’d read an occasional passage—courtesy of the Gideons—but usually only as a last-minute assignment for my Sunday School class so I wouldn’t be totally embarrassed when called upon. Truth be told, I hated everything about Sunday School and church—having to get up early, slipping on polyester pants, and sitting in uncomfortable pews listening to a sermon I neither understood or even wanted to hear in the first place. I still get sleepy just thinking about it.

Reading Scripture was the last thing on my mind during college and dental school. After all, there were parties to attend and sports to watch, periodic tables to memorize and exams to pass. I didn’t have time to waste reading something so remotely abstract, or equally difficult to understand, or so downright boring. The Book of Leviticus? You gotta be kidding me!

It wasn’t until I entered the Army that I really developed an interest in God’s Word. They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Well, there’s also nothing like being bored out of your mind while stationed overseas with no access to TV channels or the internet. In fact, back then there was NO internet. With limited resources at the post library, I finally got around to reading that Bible.

Boy, did I read it. I dived right in. Old Testament, New Testament—got through all 66 books in about 6 months. Along the way, I discovered something I thought was pretty neat. That Bible I had read wasn’t just a random collection of weird narratives, exotic poetry, and wise sayings—rather it was a beautifully crafted story—God’s personal story directed at me. It was a story chock full of intriguing plots, seriously flawed characters, and symbolic settings—often as titillating as any best-selling Sydney Sheldon novel. I was suddenly hooked, and I couldn’t let go.

The years since then have been a bit of a roller coaster ride. There’ve been seasons where I’ve been extremely disciplined and faithful in my reading and study. There have also been occasional periods of drought. Not just drought—but serious doubt about the truth and veracity of what I was reading. The eternal questions of why good people suffer, of the proliferation of evil, or the ever-present tension between truth and grace was simply too hard for me to reconcile between my earning a living, raising a family, and my relentless pursuit of idols. Could this tattered, leather bound manuscript really be the inerrant, divinely inspired Word of God? My mind said “no,” but my heart said, “maybe.”

So what’s happened since then? Have I finally seen the light, or have I gone the way of heretics past? I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to find out. Here’s a hint though—you see, I’m going to be leading an upcoming class where we’ll be talking about the Good Book. The name of the class will be called Eating Scripture—the premise being that we need to be as hungry for God’s Word as we are for a good bone-in rib-eye steak. Like my dog devouring his kibble, we need to develop a passion for gobbling up Scripture.

As a prerequisite, we’ll explore what the Bible is all about and how it came to be. We’ll touch on some of its recurrent themes and how best and if we should apply them to our personal lives. We’ll build upon each other’s experiences and—hopefully after our time together—we’ll all be a bit more knowledgeable and well-informed about Scripture in general. But most importantly, my hope and prayer is that through these sessions, you’ll develop a love, passion and HUNGER for reading God’s Word—that same passion that God has so divinely and preveniently placed on my heart.

I guess my secret’s out. I can’t wait to share more of it with you. Won’t you please join me?

Dr. John Huang is a former orthodontist, enjoying his time in retirement writing about sports and about other various and sundry aspects of life. If you enjoy his writing, you can read more at www.huangswhinings.com or follow him on Twitter @KYHuangs. He doesn’t really read Sydney Sheldon novels.

His “Eating Scripture” class will begin on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 6:30 pm in Fellowship Hall, Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road, Lexington, KY 40502. It will run for seven consecutive Wednesdays through February 27. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend at their own risk. For more information, please visit Centenarylex.com for more details about Wednesday Night activities.

Check out John’s most recent UK Sports coverage at http://www.themanchesterenterprise.com/category/uk-live-breathe-blue/

Check out his most recent Cincinnati Bengals and other professional sports coverage at http://www.bluegrasssportsnation.com/category/writers/john-huang