Article June 8, 2015 Issue

Reading and studying: a spiritual adventure

Roger Gordon

Once I was working as an editor with a writer who despaired over the prospect of naming the title of a book in an article he was writing. He didn’t want to encourage anyone to read that book. In almost the same breath, though, he sighed with relief and said: “Wait a minute. There’s nothing to worry about. People don’t read anymore!”

While his ironic comment may not be entirely factual—surveys have shown that owners of an e-reader, for instance, are likely to read more rather than less—still, I understood his sentiment. I’ve noticed for myself that I tend to be far more inclined these days to watch a television show, or play a game on my smartphone or tablet, or stay tuned in to the latest posts on social media, than I am to read a book. Not that I dislike reading; but I tend to be more interested in staying plugged in to the latest developments of the digital age.

For Christian Scientists, it is well worth giving thought to how this societal shift—with people spending more time in front of screens than ever before (often multiple screens at once), and perhaps finding it challenging to stay focused when reading—may be impacting us, possibly in a detrimental way. The practice of Christian Science requires one to be far more than an avid reader. To successfully and consistently practice Christian Science—to heal ourselves and others—we must be serious students of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy—two books that make big demands on the reader.

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