Theophany on the train

“What’s that you’re working on?” asked the woman sitting next to me on the train a few nights ago, after we’d bumped elbows and mumbled apologies to each other. I can understand why she was curious. Balanced in my lap was the program booklet for the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature’s annual meetings. The pages were covered with red pen markings, yellow highlighting, and tab-sized sticky notes (color-coded by day).

I peeked at what my seatmate was reading before answering her question. She held an orange Gideon Bible, open to Colossians 2. “It’s a religion conference,” I answered. “I’m going to the conference in a few days and I have to decide which sessions I want to go to." She looked puzzled, so I added: "They’re academic talks about the Bible and religion and politics and faith.” I pointed to her Bible and smiled: “Here I am reading descriptions of talks about the Bible, and you’re reading the actual text.”

“I’m reading Colossians,” she replied. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the Bible. It tells us that everything is going to work out in the end. God is in control. That’s true, you know.”