This former marine is well known for his unusual approches to expository (verse by verse) teaching as well as his unique topical sermons... In the pulpit or in the chuch office, you just never know what to expect from this very blunt, outspoken to the point of rude, but honest and straight up servant of God.
We were all in for a treat. I loved going down there, loved the worship leaders who were fast becomming my good friends, and just felt all of the warm fuzzies you can feel at a time like this... that all changed when I saw Romaine. I sat up on the edge of my seat and looked at this guy. He looked out over the congragation eyes hooded and peicing. I remeber smiling to myself and thinking, " Oh he's really fired up about something, this is going to be good',and it was...
Standing there till there was silence, and that always happened pretty quickly with him... He just looked around at the 5000 or so people there. Then he raised his arm. In his hand was his well worn preching Bible. Holding it up over his head caused a stir and people started to cheer clapping worshipping ect... He growed and barked in his Drill Instructor voice...
"NO!", and threw the book hard against the wall some many feet away. As it flew the cheering turned to gasps of horror and screams. The bible hit the wall with a thud and fell to the floor. There was dead quiet. A mans voice from the back of the room shouted "Romaine, men have died for that book!" The man in the pulpit said with a growl "No one died for that book over there... Its just a book, paper and leather." Then Romaine made a statement that haunts me to this day...
"The Bible is not the fourth member of the Trinity"
Pause, then he said... " I always knew you were a bunch of heathen idolitors, you worship a book... paper and ink. How many of you keep a bible as a ceterpeice of your home decorating, and dont read it? or only read it on sundays when you are here in church...By the way, we should burn the building down too Im afraid there are those among you who worship this building rather than He whom the building is ment to honor, cause you only think about God when you are in here!"
He then began to recite these scrptures, as his bible was still laying lifeless on the floor...
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
1Thessolonians 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted {it} not {as} the word of men, but {for} what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
"How do you suppose the work of God is done by a book if you done read it and apply what it says to your life?" He then quotes Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." how can this be a "light" if you dont take it off the shelf and open it up?" He asked... "For certainly the truth is that the Bible is just a book until it is read. People have died for the right to read this book this is a fact, and the fact is that miliions of lives have been changed by reading it."
I bring this memory up in my blog because we have all been astounded by the events surrounding the bogus...and maybe not so bogus... Newsweek story regarding the "desicration of the koran" and the resulting rioting over this. Lives have been lost over paper and ink. Its crazy...
There are all sorts of wacky accusations flying around from certain GI's saying that this did happen, to the LA Times newspaper stating that somehow President Bush caused all of this to happen. I think that this shows just how crazy this is. We all know that disgruntled clerics are using this to try to discredit our efforts in the region...
Romaine's point was that its not the fact that a book has the word "holy" on it or that the words in the book are divinely inspired even what the pages say, its you reading the words on the pages of the book that makes it a sacred thing, the Living Word... With out your eyes beholding it,and the Holy Spirit illuminating it to your soul, the book is just an inanimate object. It is the worshipper that gives embodiment to worship and the student and his desire to know that brings holiness to the pages of sacred text. God didnt inspire the printing press, but the authors of the books of the Bible, and our hearts to understand what is written therein.
For these people to go crazy over a story that may or may not be true... to riot over a bit of paper and ink is madness, and to say this is a religion of peace is also madness. If the koran is what they revere, look at how that "scripture" effects them, moulds them and shapes their character. That is the true test of any faith, not the words of the book but how they are lived out in the day to day struggles of life.
For the Afghans to toss away all that they have worked towards over this bogus story shows the lack of inner evolution. That is tragic. It makes me wonder about the future and how we in the west can effectivly dialogue with such people. They are in the stone age, and seem to want to stay in this unevolved state. I pray that the sons of Ishmael with someday see the light and walk in the truth of the True and Living God. Untill then the world will stay locked in this sibling rivalry between the true and spiritual sons of Issac and the true and spiritual sons of Ishmael. It is a struggle that will come to a good end but the enduring will be long and bloody.
What about you? Get that Bible off the shelf and start to read it. Ask God to open it up to you to see its truths, and to bless your life,... to cause a inner revolution in your own life. God will change you through the reading of His word...and by changing you for good, will change the world, one reader at a time.
by Hokule'a Kealoha
