An Illiterate College Grad

Over the past couple of months I've been listening to a lecture series entitled, "God and His Word," by Dr. Micahael Williams of Covenant Theological Seminary (God and His Word). In one of his lectures, Dr. Williams mentions how many young generations today have lost the skill of reading, and how many colleges are graduating illiterate students. Now, being the prideful person I am, I immediately took offense, and categorized Dr. Williams as an old coot who's always complaining about today's "whipper snappers," and how we’ve gone astray. However, as I continued to listen to Dr. Williams, his criticism pierced through my pride and brought me to the realization that the person he was describing was me. Now, I don't want to discount my education nor my ability to read. I believe I’ve been taught and equipped with what I need to be an effective reader. Conversely, there's no doubt I’ve become a lazy reader.

One of Dr. Williams' points was how many people read as if they’re watching TV: as unengaged observers. Snap! Boy, did that hit home. Sure, I can easily put letters together to from words, but I’ve neglected to engage. I don't ask questions. I don't seek to understand the position of the writer or the context of the writing.

Now, this is probably a skill I should have signed up to in elementary school, yet since then I've become irresponsible in my reading. Nevertheless, since receiving Dr. William's chastisement I've made more of a conscious effort to engage in my reading. I can't say it's been easy since it's not yet a habit, but it's definitely rewarding. Not only has my understanding increased, but it has also renewed my joy of reading.