Sign of the Times Series: “God Didn’t Write the Bible. People Did.”
Maybe Christian billboards can provide some good news after all
As we wrap up the Sign of the Times series, I thought it could be helpful to look at times when faith-based billboards were used to bring actual good news instead of spark political tension.
In 2023, author Zach Hunt (who I strongly recommend following on Substack) released his most recent book Godbreathed: What It Really Means for the Bible to be Divinely Inspired. It’s a thoughtful exploration of who penned the Bible, why that matters, and how that reality can strengthen our faith.
In a brilliant move of subversive advertising, Hunt decided to sponsor several billboards around Nashville the way several evangelical organizations have done with the billboards I’ve discussed during this series. But he did so with a fun twist. Instead of aiming to shame folks or prey on their fear, he offered short affirmations intended to comfort those along the deconstruction journey. He also submitted some more admittedly thought-provoking ones that got rejected by the billboard company’s legal team, but the following three were posted:
“It’s okay to admit when the Bible is wrong.”
“God didn’t write the Bible. People did.”
“You are not going to Hell.”
The kicker? Each one was supported with scripture; he even included the scripture references on each billboard.
As you can imagine, the billboards caused quite a stir (read: outrage) amongst evangelical Christians in the area, accusing Hunt of discrediting the Bible and cherry-picking verses to make a misleading argument.
But he also received overwhelming support from exvangelicals, progressive Christians, agnostics, and atheists. They expressed gratitude for the good news he shared.
It is often said that the role of the preacher is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. If we believe that to be true, then it’s safe to say that Hunt preached a hell of a sermon with those three billboards.
Photo credit: Zach Hunt
When I think about my own relationship with the Bible as a queer pastor, I’m sometimes disheartened by the comments I’ve received. Because I’m a queer pastor, I’ve received many of the same accusations that Hunt did with his billboards– that I don’t take the Bible seriously, that I “pick and choose” only what makes me feel comfortable justifying my life of “sin.”
I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I think sometimes it’s important to show my “receipts” so folks can understand the intentionality behind the work I do. I have two degrees in religion. I’ve been doing congregational ministry for the better part of 8 years, which has included preparing innumerable sermons, Bible studies, and lessons. I wrote a book about what the clobber passages might have to teach us based on years’ worth of research (and the result of that research was something truly life-giving, not queerphobic). Even for this Substack, I do research on every biblical text I share.
I have done work and continue to do so because how I engage the Bible as a pastor directly affects the spiritual health of everyone who comes into contact with my work. That responsibility is simply too important for me to view it as anything less than a holy call that requires my utmost seriousness, dedication, and attention.
My story is hardly unique. Most queer folks I know (Christian or otherwise) have spent similar amounts of time and energy studying the Bible– specifically the clobber passages. Most of them know the Bible better than every –and I mean every– evangelical I’ve known in my life.
The assumption that LGBTQ+ people and allies don’t take the Bible seriously is simply not true.
The reality is the Bible needs hard, intentional work if we want to understand it. There are things that get lost in translation. In some cases, the biblical authors left out details because they knew their audience would piece together the information based off their context (kind of like when you say “you better not pout, you better not cry” to a child– you don’t have to finish the lyric for them to know exactly what you’re talking about). But those ancient cultural references don’t mean anything in our modern context. In order to find those missing pieces, you have to dig. You have to do research.
Integrity-driven Bible scholarship is a discipline. It’s an act of holy curiosity and sacred humility. It’s hard work, just like any of the other disciplines of our faith are.
In a Baptist News Global interview about both his book and the billboards, Hunt explains why, for him, doing the hard work of engaging an imperfect Bible doesn’t shake his faith:
“I find good news in biblical imperfection because I see the Bible as a story we are invited into, not a rule book we must follow in order to avoid hell. Imperfections mean not only are real people telling real stories, but they find no reason to hide their dirty laundry behind hagiography*.
I find that hopeful because it means the Bible is full of imperfect people just like me, which means God can use imperfect people just like me, people who screw up sometimes and sometimes even put words in the mouth of God and yet God is there to meet them, meet me with grace every time.”
I daresay that there’s no perfect interpretation or translation of the Bible. But that reality doesn’t weaken my faith. Rather, that reality allows me to be open to how God’s spirit is breathing new life into each of us each day. That is something worth staking my faith on, and I’ll continue to do so.
*hagiography is a biography of a holy person (usually a saint) that can be overly idealized– in some cases to the point of idolatry
Thank you for engaging the Sign of the Times series! Next week, we’ll be back to reflections on current events, scripture passages, and maybe even the occasional sermon manuscript.