“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16
It would be interesting if a person had only had one flavor of soda, say Pepsi, and was under the impression that only Pepsi was soda. If another person only had 7up, they might think that only 7up was soda. If one day they went into a fast-food place with a soda fountain machine that had root beer, orange soda, and several other flavors, their horizons would be expanded. All of a sudden, they would realize that soda comes in flavors beyond what they were accustomed to.
Some of us fall into the trap of only focusing on particular parts of Scripture or Christianity, perhaps our favorite parts or the parts our culture emphasizes. Then one day we encounter a legitimate expression of the Christian faith that may be a bit different than what we are accustomed to. It might happen through a cross-cultural trip or a visit to several Christian churches we have never been to before. We might be tempted to judge quickly and write off these new experiences as illegitimate, and yet it may be more aptly termed an unfamiliarity.
We must be aware that each of us have certain biases because of the time and place we were raised in and because of our experiences. We can be prone to stick to our favorite flavor of soda without realizing that there are flavors out there that can legitimately be called soda as well. Of course, there are drinks that are not soda at all.
As we take in the whole word of God, we will expand our discernment about what is true, correct, and righteous and what is not. A full reading of God’s Word and healthy openness to others will help us to taste the full range of flavors of the Christian life and expand our horizons. God’s Word stands eternally true and should inform us in our current time and culture. There might be aspects of the Christian life that we close ourselves off to simply because it is unfamiliar or uncomfortable. May God help us to stay anchored in His Word and yet open to new understanding that might only be an unfamiliar flavor.