The Church in Dialogue:

Biblical Literacy

Sharon Donohue

In 1941, during one of the most turbulent times in U.S. history, President Franklin Roosevelt declared the week of Thanksgiving as National Bible Week. Every president since then has followed suit. This year’s theme is “The Bible transforms and unites the nation.” Lexington-based author Sharon Donohue spoke with Cross Roads about her efforts to make the Bible more accessible readers via her two-part book, “The Bible Clicks” (www.TheBibleClicks.com), and its impact.

CR: Why call your book “The Bible Clicks”?

SD: “The Bible Clicks” is designed to appeal to anyone who has felt overwhelmed or intimidated by the Scriptures. The Bible remains the best-selling book of all time, but how many people have read that book cover-to-cover? It is a daunting task, because Scripture is like a library, comprised of many smaller books, with various genres of writing. “The Bible Clicks” draws out gems from every one of those genres — narrative, poetic, prophetic, wisdom literature, epistles (letters) and apocalyptic writing — arranges them chronologically (to the extent that’s possible) and re-creates 365 episodes with a storyteller’s voice. Book One features the Old Testament; Book Two covers the New Testament. When you travel through Scripture by way of stories, the Bible clicks.

CR: What inspired you to do this?

SD: I studied Bible and journalism at a private college that prepared students for seminary and ministry. At a class reunion, one of my friends said, “Sharon, have you ever thought of creating a book of Bible stories for teenagers? There’s a tremendous need for that.” Years later, I read to my daughter every night, and a big part of  that included stories from Scripture. When she was young, I could find loads of beautiful Bible storybooks. But the older she got, the fewer we found. I remember thinking that surely someone could create Bible stories for an older audience. One day while I was browsing through a bookstore, sighing in disappointment, it dawned on me: “You have a degree in journal- ism. You have a major in Bible. You worked as a magazine editor for leading religious publications. Why don’t you write what you are looking for?”

CR: How has this work changed your daughter's perspective, as well as others, on the Bible?

SD: Some of the best parenting advice I ever heard was, “More is caught than taught.” I think my own personal love of the Scriptures and high regard for its value came through to my daughter even at a young age. She knew that “The Bible Clicks” stories were designed to make the Bible easier to understand. So the fact that we read from it every night reinforced the importance of Scripture. It was a way of showing, rather than telling, that Scripture held an import- ant role in our lives. Consequently, the Scriptures became a lens on life that shaped her values. Her strong sense of social justice, for example, came from her own understanding of the Scriptures.

CR: How can we do better at making Scripture part of our faith lives?

SD: I think it starts with our attitude toward Scripture. When people are pressed on what they believe, Catholics will frequently say, “The Church teaches ...” Whereas evangelicals will say, “The Bible says ...” Of course, both are essential. But our religion should lead to a relationship with the God of Creation, and if it doesn’t, there is no life — just dead ritual. Jesus affirmed that Scripture was designed to lead people to him, when he said, “These are the Scriptures that bear witness of me.” The Catholic Church laments that young people who grew up in the Church, attending Catholic schools, are leaving the Catholic faith. I don’t know why that is happening, but I do know that one window of opportunity is to feed their faith through the inspirational stories of Scripture. That’s why, after my daughter grew up, I returned to my original goal — to create a through-the-Bible series that appeals to teens and tweens.

CR: How have young people reacted to your work?

SD: I tested “The Bible Clicks” by using it to supplement the curricula at two churches (both evangelical) and two faith-based schools (both Catholic). At one of the schools, I was able to use “The Bible Clicks” web book in a daily enrichment class. Because the students did not know I was the author, I could witness their authentic responses — they loved it!
Then came the response I had not anticipated. Each day in religion class, we started with prayer, and some days the entire class came forward to pray! Even students who were painfully shy felt compelled to express their heartfelt intentions. Several times the entire period gave way to prayer because I didn’t want to stifle what was clearly God’s stirring. “The Bible Clicks” had nurtured their faith, convincing them that God really does care for them personally. That’s why the Amazon promo reads: “Spoiler alert — this book has been known to change lives.”

CR: What makes your work different from other books on the Bible?

SD: It gives people permission to travel through Scripture chronologically (to the extent that’s possible), carried on the voice of storytelling, engaged by playfully provocative illustrations that capture the reader’s imagination and drive home the takeaway. People who might not delve into the Scriptures on their own are intrigued by this format.