The Boundless Bible
The Boundless Bible is a podcast dedicated to discussing the many layers and perspectives the Bible offers to those interested in deepening their views and understanding.
Hosted by three friends from very different walks of life and life experiences, who've come together through curiosity of, and respect for, the living Word.
Our hosts are:
- DAVID SHAPIRO -- was born an Orthodox Jew, later an atheist, ex-military and MMA fighter, David heeded the call to Jesus and is now an ordained Pastor, specializing in Apologetics.
- JAVIER MARQUEZ -- Originally from Brooklyn, moved to LA to be an actor, and deeply found the Lord which led him to work in the church, lead Bible studies and grow his faith.
- JASON HOLLOWAY -- grew up in the church, left in college, and spent the next 2 decades immersed in learning world religion, spirituality, science, and mythology, recently returning to the Faith with renewed insight and perspective.
After a year of weekly discussions, we came to find that sharing and debating their different perspectives had become an exciting way to introduce new ideas to old thinking, grow their understanding, and strengthen their faith.
We are aware that there are many people out there who feel their questions haven't been answered, whose curiosity has been tamped down, or who just generally feel their community doesn't allow open dialogue, and our goal is to give those people a place to listen, ask questions, and engage with their curiosity to find a deeper and more robust connection to their faith.
The Boundless Bible
QUICK Qs: First Memories of Jesus
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Welcome to the Boundless Bible. My name is David Shapiro, hey, I'm Javi Marquez and I'm Jason Holloway.
Speaker 2:I don't have a voice so I can't sing today. Quick questions with David. That's the non-singing version. All right guys, what question do you have for us?
Speaker 1:today, david, what is your earliest memory of learning about Jesus, the?
Speaker 2:earliest memory of learning about Jesus. I have told you guys, I grew up in the church Now, granted, I don't remember starting until like seven or eight, so it wasn't like a baby type thing, but it was. I was young. I was young and I remember. I remember, like, the first time going in. It's weird, I have like this really distinct memory of the first time going in, but the first time I really remember like going oh, this is what it's about was Vacation Bible School. Like Vacation Bible School, all those like summertime things for me were always big things, like they were always, you know, so Jesus centered and fun and happy and you sing the songs and like, um, I don't know it, just it was always.
Speaker 2:I know I'm, I'm like I have all these songs going through my head right now but that was the first time I remember it and I remember thinking, you know, learning about, you know Jesus is what lights my way and, uh, you know I did under a bush. You know, there's the little Zachary. You know, uh, zacchaeus was a wee little man and songs like that, and I just remember thinking like, oh, like he saved and he helps and he, he, he refines people and he, and I just remember just thinking it was a beautiful thing that this Jesus person was the helper of of humanity and that he loved me of all people, Amen, yeah.
Speaker 1:For me. You know, there were a couple of different times. I felt like Jesus was tugging on my, my, my heart, uh, kind of calling me out, uh, but one of the times that I remember learning about him actually was in the military. Um, and at this point I, you know, I had lived my life as a Jewish person and when I went to the military and most people in the military are religious in one way or another um, because you're looking for God to help you through some of these really tough times Um, and I went to Jewish studies and, and it just didn't feel right and that was one of the remaining factors that I needed to feel to go. I'm done, yeah, uh, and that was one of those moments where I was like, uh, this just isn't it for me. Uh, but I did try to go to go to church, to Christian church in the military, no way and I went a couple of weekends in a row and I did feel better, I felt safer, I felt better.
Speaker 1:There's something I give you. It's a little Bible. It fits in your shirt pocket. They call it the bulletproof Bible. Oh, yeah, because there are stories of soldiers who had it on the battlefield and when they were shot, soldiers who had it on the battlefield. And when they were shot, the bullet actually went into the book and didn't kill them. So they call it a bulletproof Bible. Oh, and they tell you to carry it with you and all. And I just remember having this real feeling of peace with Jesus for the first time ever, not really knowing a whole lot about him yet. Yeah, just going, this is, this is where I need to find that peace, and I started believing in this book.
Speaker 1:You know that I never even read I didn't open it, just having it in my pocket, and that was enough. And he taught you about himself directly. That was it.
Speaker 3:That's crazy that's good for me. My my earliest memory would be a depiction of jesus and you know those yeah, like those depictions of him, but like this white guy with blue eyes and like beautiful wavy hair, you know, and I look at him and I go your jesus was a surfer like this beautiful man.
Speaker 3:Look at this, this picture, you know, like and I I have a really strong image of that in my head, of this man, you know, and it was like carved up, I think it was like santaria or something, so it was like on the candle or something right so, or something like that. So that's my memory is just really seeing this, this thing, this image, and um, I'm that's really it and I, you know, as far I never really know anything further than that of of who this person is or what's going on here, and I think every time I ever heard about Jesus in that point, it was very distant, right, it was very this distant guy that that did these things and or had this power, and that's it. It never felt there was no relationship part of it. Whenever I heard jesus in his name, it was more this, this divine thing, um, so that's my memory that I could remember of, just like the image of jesus and the beauty of jesus, and it was I don't know.
Speaker 1:Do you remember how old you were when that picture got burnt in your memory?
Speaker 3:I think I was maybe eight. I was about eight and I remember where we were living. We were living in Queens at the time, the Goodboro, yeah, the Goodboro. I was living in Queens and yeah, I just remember this image and my mom had this area of like. I said it could be the Santa Maria thing, but maybe I shouldn't say much. But yeah, I just saw it there and I've always remembered that image and I think it brought peace right. It brought some kind of peace, but it was very it was. I just felt like that image is what gave the peace, rather than this, what I know now this relationship of God.
Speaker 2:So there is that distinction, alright cool, interesting see, always good to learn new stuff. Guys, alright, thanks for thanks for joining us, cool, bye, bye.
