Jesus had a number of discussions in the Gospels where he responded to those who criticized him by asking, “Have you not read?”
These are conflict episodes happening when he was answering questions poised by followers of the two main branches of Judaism of his day; the Pharisee and the Sadducees. The Pharisees stressed the oral teaching of the Law of Moses and the Sadducees stressed the written Torah, the first five books of the Bible. They did not get along with one another, but both groups challenged Jesus.
Jesus knew they read the scriptures and that was his starting point in trying to reason with them. In an age where literacy was rare, how were they able to learn to read? The Pharisees had the best education because they were from the family of priests and the Sadducees had the best education from the philosophers.
Not everyone is so fortunate.
In the Acts of the Apostles, Philip heard a man reading the book of Isaiah and used this as a starting point. He asked the man, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man responded, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” Philip explained the truth to him. Tradition is this man founded the Church in Ethiopia.
N.C. Baptist Biographies list the life of the Rev. George W. Orr. Rev Orr was approximately thirty years old when he gave his life to Christ at the Old Mother Church in Robbinsville. Not long after his conversion, he was called to preach the Gospel.
There was a problem: a hard-working farmer, he never had an opportunity to learn to read. This didn’t stop him. Friends read to him and taught him to read. When one of his hogs died, he rendered the lard and used it in a lamp so he could study at night. He applied himself and was soon reading the Bible and preaching the word.
The 1922 Tennessee River Baptist Association Memorial report stated he was “an able exponent of the Word of Truth.”
What dedication Rev. Orr had in learning to read. Many would have not tried, or gotten around it in some way. Yet, he stuck to it and because of his efforts many were led to Christ.
We are understanding more and more how important it is to help children learn to read. If a child is not reading at their level early on, it can affect their entire future.
A number of churches in our state are organizing Reading Buddies to go into the schools and volunteer to read books to children. Like the friends of Rev. Orr, they volunteer their time to make a difference in someone’s life.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library shares this quote from the National Commission on Reading: “The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.”
Please read a book to a child, so they may have a head start and a good future.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church. Email him at ereece@wnccumc.net.