The last place I heard Scripture quoted was in a laundromat.

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord," said a middle-aged woman as she folded children's clothes. In an animated conversation with another woman, she was complaining about her ex-husband, who apparently did not appreciate the "good thing" he had found.

I was just eavesdropping, watching my wash dance in the dryer, but I appreciated the quotation from Proverbs 18:22. It made me think about how rare it is these days to hear Scripture cited in public. We who read the Bible seem shy about saying so. But if we're really making it part of our daily lives, why wouldn't we talk about it?

Why wouldn't I step out onto the train platform some morning and exclaim, "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24 NRSV)?

Why wouldn't I donate to a charity at the local market and say, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (James 1:17 NIV)?

Why wouldn't I yell at the driver who just cut me off, "Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34 GNT)? Okay, maybe that's not such a good idea.

I'm not talking about preaching to people. I'm suggesting that our experience of reading Scripture might spill out into the rest of our lives, in everyday conversations.

Could you make it a personal goal to share a Bible verse with someone else each day? Maybe that's another person who reads the Bible regularly, and you talk together about what you've been reading. Or maybe you just email a friend or family member about some verse you encountered. Maybe you post a verse on Facebook. Say you run across a passage that's puzzling to you. Ask someone else what they think about it. (Or try that question as an online post.)

One of the sad things about modern life is that even devout believers feel hesitant to talk about the things that matter most to them. You're apt to hear complete strangers weigh in on the weather, the local sports teams, or the Kardashians—but we find it tough to discuss the eternal wisdom of Scripture. Go figure.

So don't be pushy or preachy. Don't annoy others. Be gentle and humble and honest. Don't pretend to have all the answers. Just let your own interaction with the Bible flow out toward others, and see what happens.

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