Meet the Cast

Scanning the millennia of narratives contained in the Bible, we witness the rise and fall of empires from the Egyptian to the Roman; we read about the dozens of tribes from friends to foes; we see thousands of names ranging from our famous Lord Jesus Christ to outright mind-boggling ones like Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. To know all these names in multiple languages is surely worthy of a Guinness record.

For us regular folks, it doesn’t hurt to get acquainted with some common and important ones. Since most people have enough trouble remembering the names of living acquaintances, allow me to suggest a different approach. Let’s first put aside any duties to know all these names, because there is none. There are only benefits. Let’s also stash our old-fashioned brute-force memorization, unless it doesn’t hurt you the way it does the rest of us. Now, with an open mind and open heart, let’s look at the Bible again.

It is, in the literary sense, largely a series of stories about people living under various beliefs, facing different challenges, making all kinds of decisions, and interacting with God in their unique ways. On that level, they’re not unlike the narratives in movies, dramas, or novels. When we empathize with their positions, relate to their circumstances, and speculate what we would do in their shoes, these people, their stories, and their kingdoms come alive in our imagination. Their names cease to be mere letters; they are parts of a story that make us feel, make us think, and make us change.

I know how easy it is to glance over the pages when we are pressed to finish a 1-Year-Bible-Plan as if Christians are speed-read masters when it comes to the Bible. But after you have earned the badge, try to slow down and actually care about these characters and their walks with God. You might get more insight out of this process, and naturally, remember many of these names.

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