City Slackers

So this post is also going to focus on a particular episode, “City Slackers.” A brief summary of the episode is that Cory and Shawn sneak away to Mr. Feeny’s cabin in the mountains, but they are busted by  Mr. Feeny. While they are there, Shawn and Cory learn a little more about their teacher, Mr. Feeny.

Now if you know the show then you know that Cory and Shawn aren’t big on school. Shawn was studying history in the beginning of the episode, but his history book was still unopened in the original wrapper. Shawn and Cory rarely actually read anything that they are suppose to for class. Then when the boys are in the mountains with Feeny, there is a conversation between Feeny and Shawn, where Feeny shows his extensive knowledge on Shawn, and Shawn knows nothing about Feeny. So later that night Shawn actually opens a book, and reads it and this is a dialogue between Cory and Shawn while Shawn is reading.

“Cory: What are you doing?

Shawn: I’m reading.

Cory: No really what are you doing?

Shawn: This book that Feeny was looking at it’s like some kinda of diary.

Cory: Shawn your reading Feeny’s diary. Are you nuts? Are we in it?

Shawn: He just knew so much about me that I just wanted to find out some stuff about him.”

As Shawn and Cory are reading Feeny’s diary, they find out that the watch that those two dropped down the drain earlier that day was Feeny’s anniversary watch that he got from his wife, when she was alive. Knowing this, Shawn and Cory go digging in a septic tank for that watch. When the boys present the watch to Feeny, this is the conversation between Shawn and Feeny.

“Feeny: Never thought I’ll see this again.

Shawn: We figured it meant a lot to you being your anniversary watch and all.

Feeny: You read a book Mr. Hunter.

Shawn: Guess I did.

Feeny: Well, good for you!”

Now how does this relate to our faith? Well just like at school with all the textbooks, there are lots of books that can help us with our faith. There are devotionals, fictional stories, non-fiction stories, and so on. But when it comes to know exactly who God is, there is only one book that is going to tell you about who God is. I mean God knows all about you, and for most of us, we only scratch the surface in knowing who God is. God knows your hopes and fears, your desires, your likes and dislikes, you strength and weaknesses. But if we were to ask how much we know about God, we would come up empty.

When we read this book from God, the Bible, we start to see what’s important to him. To Feeny that watch was important. To God it might be helping a neighbor, or giving to the poor, or going on a mission trip. Just by finding out just a little more about who God is, might move us to act on what is important to God. That is when real change starts to happen. Sure there are other books out there that you can read about God, but the only book from God himself is the Bible and that is the best place for us to begin to know God.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your word. I pray that I can find joy in reading it, and joy in finding out more about you. Thank you for knowing so much about me, and I want to know more about you. Thank you for the Bible. Amen.