I know it’s hard for any of you to imagine this. What would your life be like, if you couldn’t even read this sentence? Books would mean nothing. The internet or email, a joke. You would have to trust everyone who claimed to be an expert. You couldn’t check on your doctor to see if he was telling you the truth. You couldn’t know what dosage to take once he gave you a prescription unless you memorized it yourself, or had a friend who could read. What if there was only one guy in your town who could read? What are the chances he will stick around and not get work and more money in the big city? What if you’re a Christian and he is the only guy at church that can read the New Testament (I say New Testament and not “Bible,” because you don’t even have the Old Testament translated into your language). How do you correct course if the leaders of your congregation decide to do something harmful or unchristian? How do you learn more about God? How do you deepen your faith? Sure, there are ways and I believe the Holy Spirit is alive and well among non-literate Christians all over the world. Sure, Abraham didn’t have any scriptures and still had a relationship with God. But isn’t that one of the miraculous parts of that story? Anyway, I mention all of this for two reasons.
