Inside the Revolution
The December 2021 issue of Bible Study magazine was devoted to “A Revolution in Bible Design.” The feature by Mark Ward included insights from a variety of players in the modern revival of Bible publishing, including me. It was an honor to participate — and an even greater honor to be featured on the magazine’s cover.
I’m sure there are writers who wouldn’t get excited about this kind of thing, but I am not one of them. Past covers have featured people like N. T. Wright and Tim Keller, so I knew from the start that I was out of my league. Believe it or not, I have a fragile ego, and I truly debated whether this was something I was going to tell people about. My circle of friends is very supportive, but in that old school, tear-you-apart-to-build-you-up kind of way. I could imagine the reactions: “You? On the cover? But … why?” In the end, the dilemma was solved for me. Turns out a lot of people I know — a lot — already subscribe to Bible Study. The texts started coming in long before I knew the issue was out.
My wife Laurie and I were on a road trip and decided to stop for lunch in the nearest town before it was too late. Call me a weirdo, but I don’t like to use the restrooms at roadside fast food places. On the other hand, walking into a Barnes & Noble to use theirs is in my comfort zone. Isn’t it awkward to use their facilities without buying anything? Oh, I wouldn’t know. As I scanned the aisles to rendezvous with Laurie, I grabbed a few books off the shelf to bring to the check-out. And then it dawned on me. Would they have Bible Study on the newsstand? Surely not. But I looked anyway — and there it was:
Reading for the road: A copy of The Rake and a survivalist magazine, as well as a copy of The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope, a classic noir that I’d just read a review of. Recommended? Highly. Oh, and I’ve heard good things about Chirp, too.
This photo led to my favorite anecdote about the whole affair. I texted the picture to my parents, who promptly sent it to the whole family. Perhaps I should have studied the image more closely first. My uncle replied, and he was really impressed. But thanks to the way the magazine cover is overlapped by that awesome EatingWell: Immunity special issue, he congratulated me on making the cover of Bible Stud magazine, without the -y. Right then I realized that no matter how fulfilling this magazine cover was, it could have been so much better. (Editors of Bible Stud, if you’re reading, I can send my head shots!)
But seriously, it was a profound honor to participate in this issue, because it highlights the work of so many wonderful people inside the Bible publishing industry who have helped turn what I used to think was the end into a new beginning.
If you’d like to read the cover story, follow this link to Bible Study magazine. You can also watch my in-depth interview with Mark Ward on his YouTube Channel: “Why Do Bibles Today Look So Good?”:
