READING BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER
Leyendo Junta Una Persona a Otra
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Wrapped in her father's arms, this baby girl is associating reading with love. [Photographer: Matthew Henry. Photo courtesy of StockSnap.com.]
Among my earliest memories are those of sitting on the laps of my mother, grandfather and sister while they read to me. Long before I was able to read, they showed me how to do it by putting the book in front of me and holding me close while they held the book and read to me. That's when reading began for me. It's how reading begins for most children.
Most people believe that reading begins at age five or six, but it doesn't. As demonstrated in the photo above, reading begins in the circle of the arms of one's father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, sister, brother or in those of a person that cares for that child.
I remember reading to our infant son while holding him in my arms while I fed him. He didn't know what I was saying, but he heard my voice and the rhythm of it. Even at that early age, I was teaching him that reading is a worthwhile activity. Wrapped in my arms, he perceived that reading to him was an indication that I loved him. And, I did the same thing with our grandson, Aiden, even before he was able to sit up on his own.
Children that are not read to as babies start school farther behind than those that have experienced books within the circle of the arms of someone that loves them. Without its association with love, reading can become a difficult task.
![A photograpic image of Mary Hunt Webb reading to the Jaime [Hy'-may] children.](images/20180731/Image20180731-2.jpg)
Sarah, Rebecca, and Jacob Jaime [Hy'-may] listen intently as Mary Hunt Webb reads a story to them. Rebecca Jaime was only two years old, but she listened as intently as her older siblings. [Photographer: Morris Webb, Jr.) *]
The association of reading to and with other people doesn't stop with babies or young children. As they grow up, they learn that reading is something that can be done together.
The love of reading continues to bring people together as they grow up and become adults. A mutual interest in books is often an element in the formation of a relationship.
A shared interest in books can bring people together. [Photographer: Josh Felise. Photo courtesy of StockSnap.com.]
Whatever is read becomes part of the reader, forming and shaping him or her into a living volume that others can read through interaction with the original reader. The Apostle Paul tried to convey this perspective about the impact of the letters he had written when he said, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.” (2 Corinthians 3:2, NIV)
For those that cannot read, or that don't read, those of us that do read are a reflection of the literature that we have absorbed. For example, those that read the Bible exemplify its content through daily application. And, conversely, those that don't read the Bible demonstrate that fact to others even when they claim to be Christians. Jealousy and unforgiveness are but a few of the characteristics of those that don't support their beliefs through reading the Bible and applying it in their lives.
In short, reading not only benefits us as readers, but it also benefits those with whom we associate. Everywhere that we go, we take with us the atmosphere of what we have read. We carry the illumination of reading into the darkness of the world.
Everything we read opens new paths before us. [Photographer: Comfeak. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
BiBLE VERSE FOR THiS POSTiNG
2 Corinthians 3:2 — You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.(NIV)
2 Corintios 3:2 — Nuestras cartas sois vosotros, escritas en nuestros corazones, conocidas y leídas por todos los hombres; (Reina-Valera 1960)
I'll hold your place in your book for you until you return. [Photographer: Bib Bornem. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
* Please do not use our original photos without our permission. These include photos by Morris Webb, Jr. Thank you.
