Is Bible a book?

Is Bible a book?
*******************************

I had a  teaser friend some years ago.

I think that the only duty he had been born for  in this world was teasing me.

But I was always  careful never to get provoked.

I would always react to his words with a smile.

To his part he would react with a teasing smile.

One Sunday  morning when I was returning from the Church after Mass, he stopped me with a 'Hi'.

I returned the same with a smile and asked,  "Any question? "

"No.  enquiry. Where is your  Bible?"

"Why?  You don't use our Bible.''

"I don't want yours. But why did you go to Church  without your Bible? "

"Have you ever attended a marriage function? "

"Why?  Yes."

"Have you ever taken lunch with you when you went to the function? "

"Are you a mental? Have you done that? "

"Answer my question first. "

"We are served lunch in the  function itself. "

"So you don't take your lunch to a place where you will be served it."

"Why are you beating about the bush?  Answer me directly. "

"During Mass our Priest gives us the  word of God  and explains it. Now the Word is within me."

"Alright. Accepted.  But why don't you take the Book with you? "

"Now answer my question. What 'Book' do you mean? "

"The Book  that contains the word of God."

"So word is not the book."

''What do you mean? "

"See.  The bucket contains water. Is the  bucket water? "

"You are confusing me. Water is not bucket. So what? "

"The book may contain the word. But the word is not the book."

"Do you mean to say say that Bible is not the word of God? "

"When did I say so?  Bible is the  word of God."

"Now  I ask you one question.  Does Bible contain the word of God or not? "

"What is your name? "

"Why?  Don't you know it? "

"But tell me. What is your name? "

"Selvaraj."

"Now answer me. Does Selvaraj  contain Selvaraj? "

"I think you are mad.  Selvaraj is Selvaraj. Why do you say,  'contain? "

"Bible is the word of God. Why do you ask,  'contain?"

"I asked about the book, Bible."

"So words are your trouble. Now come to my  house. We shall continue our conversation after a cup of coffee."

At home.

"I just wanted to tease you as usual. But you have drawn into your house. Now tell me  what you want to tell."

"You too are a teacher like me. You can understand.

Book  is a common noun.

It can refer to  any book:  science book, Tamil book
history   book, story book etc.

But  Bible is  a proper noun, Bible is Bible just as Jesus is Jesus.

Bible is the  word of God.

The word of God refers to  God's message,  which is abstract, which can be conveyed and cannot be seen.

In the Old Testament God delivered His message to His people through His prophets 
who put  it  down in writing.

In the New Testament Jesus delivered His message directly and His disciples put it down in writing.

What was written is the concrete form of the abstract message.

Abstract message cannot be heard or seen by human beings. 

So the prophets put it down in in writing using linguistic signs.

What was in the book was only a sign referring to an abstract message.

Suppose A wants to convey his love to B,  he would send her a letter with the words 'I love you'.  LOVE is a  word.  It  is the written sign of  abstract love. Suppose B does not know English, that word cannot convey her his message.

So the words in the book are  only signs, not message.

One who  knows the language can read the message. For one who does not know the language it is  not at all a message.

Jesus spoke to the people using human language. So people could hear the  message with their ears.

His disciples put down His message in writing.

We  call the book that contains the written message of God Bible.

But in fact the message of God is the Bible. The book contains only  the linguistic signs of God's message.

The book in itself is not the Bible. The signs in it refer to the Bible.

Your grandfather's photo is not your grandfather.

We must imbibe the  word of God and make it our life by living according to the word." 

"So long a lecture for my small  question, 'Where is your  Bible'?
Anyhow,  thank you. I take leave... ''

"Take leave?  We have reached only the gate. Take leave without entering the house?"

"Hello! We are in the house."

"Now one question. Do you respect the Bible in the form of the book, which also we call Bible? ''

"Certainly. We never go to  Church without Bible."

"So you give respect to a sign that is due to the word."

"Yes,  as it is the sign of the real word. "

"But why do you find fault with us when we give respect to a sign? "

"Now  I understand. I will not find fault with  your veneration of saints and keeping their  statues in your Churches.''

"Thanks be to God. "

Lourdu  Selvam.