Blind Faith

Read Across America has grown in its 13 year history from an apt
commemoration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2 to become a year-round
emphasis on literacy and life-long learning. Sponsored by the National
Education Association, the program draws educators, community members of all
kinds, and school children together to celebrate and support the vital role
of reading. An estimated 43 million American volunteers throughout the
country were expected to participate on Dr. Seuss’ birthday this year, with
many more reading books and encouraging literacy programs on other days
through the year.

I had the joyful experience of sharing Read Across America with a
local Head Start center last week. About 30 4-year-olds were there – as it
happened, on Pajama Day. One of their teachers asked me to come and read a
book to them and to tell how I read books as a blind person. I gladly took
my laptop computer and a set of powered speakers to show them how my talking
computers read for me. I have written a couple of files that the computer
can read to different audiences to tell about itself and how I depend on it
to read newspapers, e-mail, Internet information, and books. I also took a
Braille primer to let the children feel the raised dots on the page that
represent the printed letters and words. For a grand finale, I had the
computer read a file containing the text of one of my favorite children’s
books, Maurice Sendak’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are.

Well, I said that the computer reading the book was the grand
finale. I would rather think that my own rendition of the book was the
epitome of the presentation. Having read the book a few hundred times to
our sons, I had learned the words long ago. After giving a copy of the book
to our granddaughter, I refreshed my memory by listening to the computer
read the book enough times that I could recite it to her. Recalling Where
the Wild Things Are for the Head Start kids required only a little
freshening of my memory.

The process of sharing a beloved book with the Head Start classes
helped me to think about the importance of meaningful reading. Even though
I slowed the speech rate below the speed of average reading aloud to make it
more intelligible for the children, the computer’s reading of the book flew
by. The teacher holding the book for the children to see the illustrations
had to flip pages feverishly to keep up. Obviously, the computer does not
recognize what passages might carry more emotive impact and should be
emphasized, or where pausing may let the text’s meaning shine. On the other
hand, my rendition of the book was an oral interpretation of the story.
Because of my familiarity with the story, I know where the dramatic moments
are. I knew when to stop the mere recitation of the words to invite
responses to the story and the illustrations in the book. I am glad to say
that our sons, our granddaughter, and the Head Start kids responded to my
telling of the story with similar delight.

If reading and rereading children’s books helps us to internalize
the text and its meaning and is important for supporting basic literacy,
certainly reading and rereading the text of the Bible is essential for faith
and biblical literacy. Unfortunately, we may be able to recite more Dr.
Seuss texts than Bible passages, simply because of the number of times we
have read one or the other. Much of our Bible reading – if we do read it -
may get the words right, like my computer accurately reproducing speech from
a text file, but may not truly enter into the story and the meaning of the
scripture. One of the keys to grasping the interpretation of a biblical
text may be the simple act of reading it – and reading it again – and
reading it again the way we read a cherished children’s book over and over.
After a few dozen – or hundred – repetitions, we almost automatically learn
the story by heart, we know where the meaningful parts are, and we can tell
the story nearly verbatim from memory with emotion and interpretation.

Bible reading is strongly encouraged in the Bible itself as a vital
practice for growing children of God. Paul specifically told Timothy to
keep on reading scripture to the young church so that they could internalize
the story and become closer followers of Jesus: “Until I come, continue to
read the Scriptures to the people, strengthen them, and teach them.” (1
Timothy 4:13 NCV) Paul reminded Timothy that his mother and grandmother had
read and read the scriptures and had taught him the meaning of faith. (See 2
Timothy 1:5.) They were following the best practice of faithful instruction
given in Hebrew scripture: “Keep these words that I am commanding you today
in your heart. {7} Recite them to your children and talk about them when you
are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. {8}
Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead,
{9} and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NRSV) Both injunctions call for more than occasional
cursory Bible reading. Reading and rereading until we know God’s story by
heart and it becomes essential to our own story is how we grow as children
of God.

You may follow a plan for Bible reading, and if so, good for you.
If you don’t have a plan, many online Bible reading plans are available, or
bookstores offer countless devotional books containing Bible reading
assignments, or your congregation may provide daily Bible reading guides.
You may choose to read and reread a favorite passage until the story comes
alive for you and is etched in your memory. Repetition can be a helpful
step toward learning more fully what the Bible passage means. A simple
approach can be to read the same Bible selection once or twice a day for a
week. Some of my favorite suggestions include Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1; Psalm
23; Psalm 8; Psalm 100; Psalm 121; Isaiah 6:1-8; John 1:1-14; John 3:1-21;
Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 13.

Another suggested Bible reading list may be familiar to many people
reading this devotional. Dr. William E. Hull, one of the finest
contemporary Bible interpreters and teachers – and the father of Dr. David
Hull, Pastor, FBC, Huntsville – has prepared a list of “100 Essential
Scripture Passages.” The compilation was inspired by Johnny Cash presenting
his daughter, Rosanne, a list of “100 Essential Country Songs” as she began
her career in country music. He wanted to be sure she learned the songs
that had been a vital part of his life. David asked his Dad if he could
draw on his lifetime of Bible study and teaching to list 100 Bible passages
every child of God should know. You can access the list on the FBC website
at:

http://www.fbchsv.org/pastor/The%20List/TheList.html

along with the story of its development. A plan for reading through the 100
passages is given on the web page, but it was setup for use from Christmas
2009 to Easter 2010. Of course, the passages can be read and reread on any
schedule, and I have a suggestion. As Dr. Hull explains, reading each
passage will take an average of 10 minutes or less. I suggest making the
list a 2-year project. Read each passage once or twice each day for a week.
You may want to read from different Bible translations during the week.
Read the passage aloud some days. Reading aloud helps to bring the story
alive. Read each passage enough times for you to know it almost by heart.
You may even find someone with whom you can share the story as you learn it
so well.

If Reading Across America is so enthusiastically received and is so
helpful for celebrating general literacy, borrowing the approach for
enriching our Bible literacy seems like a good idea to me. Read God’s story
of love and grace. Reread it. Read it again. You read favorite books for
the delight and development of your children and grandchildren . Read the
Bible as a growing child of God.

-J. Edward Culpepper

Want to receive Blind Faith each week by e-mail? Send a message with the
subject “Subscribe Blind Faith” to:
Edward.culpepper@att.net