Alliteracy in a Illiterate World

“Will reading become obsolete?” (Gene Edward Veith)

I am currently enjoying Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature by Gene Edward Veith. Veith is the academic dean at Patrick Henry College and has written a number of well-respected books.

Veith opens up the first chapter of this particular book with this disturbing question:

“Will reading become obsolete?”

Take a few minutes and dwell on a life without books.

I tried to imagine a world where there was no literature and became depressed. My mind recalled a book that I read last year called Fahrenheit 451. Classified as a fictional novel, the author does an amazing job at describing a life without books. In the particular town where Fahrenheit 451 takes place, books are banned. Instead of reading, the people watch their “boxes” (or television sets). The people soon become brainwashed and are obsessed with these boxes. There are a few people, however, that secretively keep books and read them. When the books owners are discovered by the local firefighters, they are imprisoned and all the books are burned to ashes. Life was depressing.

Veith writes:

“As television turns our society into a increasingly image dominated culture,
Christians must continue to be people of the Word.” The only way that we can
become an expert on God is too study Him and His Word.

John 1:1 says:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God."

Romans 10:17 says:

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard
through the word of Christ."

God’s word is written down in the pages of the Bible (a book!) and as we read the Bible, God is speaking to us in an intimate way- one Person to another.

When it comes to reading, our society primarily has two different 'types' of people. The first is a illiterate person. This is someone who longs to read but is not able to (whether it is the lack of opportunities or the lack of knowledge). The second type of person is one who is alliterate. This person was taught to read and has the opportunities to read but chooses not to read. Isn't there something wrong with both of those 'types' of people?

“The capacity to read is a gift from God” (Veith)

Are you taking advantage of God’s gift?

-C