What if You Could Design the Cover?

When you go to purchase a book, there is one key element that is designed to grab your attention and peak your interest before you even pick it up. Maybe people choose to take notice or ignore a book just by what is on its cover. The colors, the images, the description on the back; all of these influence our purchase before we read the pages inside.

What if you were asked to design a new book cover? A major publisher wants to update and bring new life to a best-seller, and wants your input. Your familiar with the characters and the storyline. Would you help them out?

Now imagine that the book you were chosen to help redesign was the Bible. We aren’t talking about content, layout, or the order of individual books. Nothing in the pages changes, just the outside. What would you suggest?

Some would say that to alter that traditional pictureless cover imprinted with “Holy Bible” would be like changing a classic. It doesn’t influence much, it is a clear brand, and it is the way it should be. It’s like introducing New Coke when you should stick with the classic formula.

But think about what we put on the covers of books. Images of characters or themes. Taglines or short descriptions. Maybe an artistic logo. It is a teaser for what is inside.

If you could help determine what that teaser would like, with your knowledge of the content, themes and characters, what would you suggest to put out there? What does it say about your knowledge of God and His Word? Is it evidence of the way God made you and wants to communicate His Gospel through you? What about the “audience” that God has designed you to communicate with?

Suddenly talking about redesigning the cover has less to do with changing a classic. It is about revealing ourselves and our history with God. It pulls out into the light our passion for the Gospel. It gives us a glimpse into how we can share that Gospel, and who we might be best suited to share it with.

By the way, your life is a cover for that same Gospel. People look at you, every where you go, every day of your life, and consider whether the Story you portray is one that is worth picking up and reading.

(2 Corinthians 3:3 NKJV)

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