The Bible for the sake of Western civilization

At Christmastime our church has a tradition of matching willing givers to needy local children who may not have anything under their tree—or even a tree. My husband and I plucked one of the last names on the display in the foyer, choosing by lot an 8-year-old girl whose request is a children’s Bible. With great relief that I would not have to forage the stimulation-overload mega–toy store aisles for Incredible Hulks or masters of the Universe, I visited a quiet Christian bookstore and found a children’s Bible that I loved: large print, third-grade reading level, about 240 stories, an abundance of realistic illustrations. (As Alice in Wonderland said, “What is the use of a book without pictures or conversation?”)

I liked the book so well that I went back the next day for two identical ones, to give to two very important children I know under the age of 10. This will be tricky because the parents of these two children under no circumstance tolerate religion in their homes. Invisible Hulks and Spider-Men easily slip their nets—as no doubt in the future will studies in Greek mythology and astrology that the schools will have in their lesson plans (unless the Lord changes this mom and dad’s hearts). But the Bible is verboten.

Nevertheless, I have bought the books on faith. I will make an appeal to the parents on other grounds than religion. I will tell them that the stories between the covers are the foundation of our Western civilization, and that ignorance of them will leave their children poorly equipped for the rest of their lives to make heads or tails of most of the literature of the past 2,000 years. Their precious children will find themselves disgraced like poor Huck Finn, who when asked by the visiting school superintendent to name two of the 12 apostles, blushed and fidgeted and tugged at a buttonhole and blurted out, “David and Goliath.”

I will ask these parents if they would really like their honor role student to grow up unacquainted with the origins of the most common literary allusions in the English language: casting pearls before swine, reaping the whirlwind, walking on water, parting the waters, turning swords into plowshares, turning the other cheek, being all things to all men, being my brother’s keeper, not serving two masters, things not written in stone, the patience of Job, a house divided, get thee behind me, out of the mouths of babes, Solomonic wisdom, and born again.

“For the sake of Western civilization!” I will say to the parents. But I will really be thinking in my heart: For the sake of the souls of these two very important young people.