“Brothers and sisters,” began the Quechua pastor, “because you generously donate your farm produce, your sheep, bulls and guinea pigs, we have always had more than enough food at our church anniversary celebration each year.” The humble man broke into a smile as he lifted a newly-translated Quechua Bible in his hands. “This year we not only have enough food for our bodies, we now have more than enough food for our souls!”

This beautiful demonstration got me thinking…  

Even if we don’t live there right now, most of us hail from a “land of plenty” that offers a smorgasbord of products to guide us along our spiritual journey. We have not just one Bible on our shelf, but every person in the family has one, and most of us have Bibles in several English translations to make studying easier. Our churches have multiple pastors, so we’re not listening to the same person each week. Some churches offer varied music options, so we can choose the traditional service and sing our hymns with piano and organ, or we can go contemporary, worshiping in a dim sanctuary accompanied by guitarists, drummers, and singers wearing holey blue jeans. Most churches showcase digital screens where they project scripture passages along with jokes and cute pictures to illustrate the sermons. And outside of the church building we can find any number of Christian books, movies, radio programs, concerts… you name it, the land of plenty has it! 

How long has it been since we, like the humble Quechua pastor, have seen “just the Bible'' as enough? 

In all honesty, I sometimes miss all the other “stuff.” I find it easy to tune out a message that’s being preached in a language I understand but that doesn’t always reach my heart. The music isn’t necessarily my style, and I get distracted by crying babies and dogs that skulk into the sanctuary. But I long to be like that Quechua pastor, disregarding the outward things and instead, looking deeply into the word of God. I want to stand with him, holding my Bible high, and declare, “With this, I have MORE THAN ENOUGH food for my soul!”