Welcome to Faith'n'Fiction Saturday where we take a closer look at the intersection of the Christian faith and fiction. You are welcome to participate by putting your answers in comments or writing your response on your blog.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to ask a series of questions that go back to the basics. Today's question is the most basic of all. Why read?
I read for several reasons:
1) I love the escape. It's the only time my mind really has a chance to not be truly thinking, but being absorbed in the story before my eyes
2) I find it so fascinating to be transported to a time I'll never live in. Going back to the wild west with the trappers, pioneers, and cowboys is a dream come true on the page. Traveling to England in the 17-1800's and reading about the struggles of a governess, royalty, or martyr has a pull on my heart. Can you imagine being held captive on a pirate ship being scared out of your wits? I can because the authors completely suck me into the story and I can picture myself a fly on the wall.
3) Reading also helps me learn about history, since historical fiction is the largest genre I read. There is so much research that the authors do, I always come away having learned something about the past. I also learn about faith. I can relate so often to what the characters are going through spiritually that my faith is built upon through them.
4) It's a great example to my kids. I want them to enjoy reading and I know if they see me doing it, they will hopefully go by my example. Of course, I have to not spend every waking moment reading, which would be a bad example!! My girls grew up with a voracious love of reading. It's something we definitely share. My 16 yr old is even part of a girls book club at church, just like her mama! I enjoy sitting in bed with my boys, each of us a book in had. Even though we might be reading separate books, it's something we're doing together.
How about you? Why do you read?
3 comments:
I love to read to escape too, its fun learning about things while reading. :)
I too like to experience other time periods and lands that I may never see other than through the words of a book.
I started to read as a young child to escape the abuse I received and it helped me to go to places where there was no pain. As I got older I read more and more. Reading got me through an abusive marriage. Now I read to relax, to educate myself by reading about other places, to just enjoy myself. And reading helps with the loneliness.
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