Bookworms

There are two types of bookworms, the literal insect kind, which feed on the paste on the binding, and the figurative type, humans, which devour the words on the pages. Paul fit the latter. From his prison cell he requested young Timothy to bring his books. And he encouraged his youthful protégée to “give attendance to reading.” For the old man knew, generally speaking, readers are leaders.

When our children were small, they used to listen to a Christian radio program, “Me and My Books.” The man referred to the books as his friends. In that wonderful movie, “Shadowlands,” the story of C.S. Lewis’ life, there is a statement that bears out the truth of books being our friends: “We read to know we’re not alone.”  No man is an island unto himself. We need others to let us know our thoughts, actions, and experiences aren’t solitary.

This goes even as far as to how Satan invades our lives. As Alexander Whyte’s maxim goes, “Mind your books and Satan cannot touch you.” Of course, The Book of Books takes precedent over all books. As Paul said, “bring [with thee]...the books, [but] especially the parchments.” Is it not rightly called “The Monarch of Books,” all other being subservient?

Allow me to close with a warning from C.S. Lewis concerning our reading of books. “We either get shallow and broad or narrow and deep.”

Addendum: Always read the foreword and be familiar with the index of every book you read. Especially, know as much of its author as possible.