Books

There are a lot of book worth reading. There were over 625 million books sold in the United States last year (2019). Not all were worth the read. The average number of books read per person is four (4) if one excludes the “avid” readers. Include those readers and the number is eleven (11). Reading is good for folks who choose to gain knowledge, insight, understanding, even joy and peace. Retreating into a really good book can settle the mind and ease the pains of life on occasion.

The book under my Christmas Tree this past month was Meditations.  One might think it to be a “religious” book – but it isn’t. It is the writings of Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome c. 160-180. It is undoubtedly one of the great books of history. Reading is one of the best sources of learning from the past what is necessary for the future. Our society appears to be moving from that mindset, to one where any wisdom that is not the foolishness of yesterday, is of no value.

Of course that is uniquely true in the spectrum of the Church of Jesus Christ. Multitudes of those who hold membership in a local body of Believers are likely to bypass the Truth of God’s Word for the speculations of voices who “hear” the voice of God crying out to them in their dreams or visions or meditations, which are often foolishly contrary to the revealed Word of God. It is my studied opinion that placing value on such is a mistake for the “hearer,” or reader.

It would appear that the United States of America is losing the value of or History. Asking young people today about the events of the last century (20th, to say nothing of those earlier) is to see only blank stares as if they have never read a book, or listened to a historical narrative. I have no idea what is being taught in todays High School history classes, but I am confident it is not as thorough as it should be. Knowing the mistakes of the past is of good value for failing to make the same mistakes in the present.

Scripture gives us the Old Testament record for our edification and insight. Failing to clearly understand the new is often a product of not knowing the old. The New Testament is best understood when there is a working knowledge of the Old Testament. Our Nation suffers in a multitude of ways when we forget (or have never learned) the history of the years that precede the present. Read the writings of yesterday, and you will gain a valuable tool for today.