The Wonder of Reading

I take for granted, sometimes, the amazing mystery of reading. That I can pick up a book, magazine, blog, or scribbled note and decode it using my eyes and mind and know what the writer said and, hopefully, what they intended to mean, is mind-blowing. 
     I have been studying the Book of Ephesians in the Bible in the Greek. In chapter 3 Paul mentions reading. The Greek word for reading is literally, 'again knowing.' Think about that for a second. Reading is knowing again what someone else knew and thought. It is a transferring of knowledge to others that we don't really appreciate.
     My extensive library of books is very important to me. Through it I get to hear from brilliant men and women who I would never get the chance to meet (although I have been fortunate enough to meet a few). My library is mental Tupperware. It's where thoughts, memories, and ideas are stored. I can tap into these at any time--and I do. 
     Through reading we are transported to places, times, situations that we will never really experience. It broadens our horizons and makes us more empathetic. Best of all, it helps us understand mindfully. It makes us more in touch with facts and wisdom that shields us against falsehoods and the manipulation that surrounds us at this time. 
     I recommend reading. I read Christians and non-Christians. Secure in what I believe, I want to hear all voices. How else will I understand others? How else will I be able to reach out to them? To speak their language? How can I be a Greek to the Greeks if I don't speak Greek? How can I have an answer to every man if I don't know their questions?
     If you are looking for something to do . . . pick up a book.