July 26, 17A (Romans 8:26–39)
There are some matters that a well-rehearsed and repeated Bible verse won’t fix.
Preachers and teachers of preaching speak about the application of a text. When I grew up, appliqués were simply ironed onto jeans and T-shirts. We were often frustrated when the washer and dryer began the ugly process of separating appliqué from fabric. The best of our art and words were ruined. They could not withstand the cycle of water and heat.
Such is the idea of biblical application. My friend Len Sweet argues that many Christians suffer from “verse-itis,” a chronic disease that reduces the faith to an ability to quote chapter and verse. Once reserved for bumper stickers, T-shirts, and billboards, Bible verses now scroll across screen savers and social media feeds. They are often applied in quick and fleeting ways to circumstances that may require more reflection.
To apply scripture to life is by definition to concede a certain superficiality. As a child, I would go to the local swimming pool and, at some point, get a cut. The lifeguard in the office applied a Band-Aid, and back into the water I jumped. Chlorine and Band-Aid adhesive worked together, and soon the Band-Aid was gone.
