National Read a Book Day: the benefits and joy of reading

Today is National Read a Book Day, which is celebrated every year on September 6th. As an avid bookworm, many of you know that I love books. I fell in love with reading in the seventh grade when I was introduced to The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and I began to read for pleasure as well as for my assignments. The origin behind National Read a Book Day is a bit of a mystery but whoever came up with the idea had an amazing idea. Some people reading is a favorite pastime, while for others it is a chore but overall there are many benefits to reading. I will share a few of my favorite reads as well as tips to observe National Read a Book Day. 

The benefits of reading are both for the physical body as well as your mental well-being. First, MRI scans have shown that reading creates and strengthens the sophisticated network of circuits and signals in the brain (Stanborough, 2019). Second, reading has been shown to reduce stress. Reading for a little as 30 minutes a day has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate and psychological distress (Stanborough, 2019). Third, reading has been shown to help prepare your brain for a good night’s rest. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest reading as a regular part of your nightly routine (Stanborugh, 2019). For an individual’s mental well-being, first, reading helps increase your ability to empathize with others. Studies have shown that people who read literary fiction have a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others (Stanborough, 2019). Second, reading helps build one’s vocabulary. Studies have shown that children who are exposed to reading at an young age develop larger vocabulary. Third, reading helps prevent age-related cognitive decline. “A 2013 study conducted by Rush University Medical Center found that people who’ve engaged in mentally stimulating activities all their lives were less likely to develop the plaques, lesions, and tau-protein tangles” associated with dementia (Stanborough, 2019). 

With all these benefits, many people ask, what should I read? Anything! Anything you enjoy. Anything that you find relaxing will provide these benefits. If you like humor, read it! If you enjoy sci-fi or fantasy, read it! The point is to engage your brain and enjoyment is a part of that engagement. There are many lists out there that claim books one must read before they die or to be considered educated. I’ve tried to read some of the books there and even as an avid reader, it was a struggle. Until I came across someone who stated that life’s too short to read books that bore you, so read for enjoyment. I mentioned The Outsiders above, here are a few of my other favorites from the classics to modern publications.

My favorite classics:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee

2. Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Bronte

3. Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury

4. The Chronicles of Narnia series (1950-1956) by CS Lewis

5. Bridge to Terabithia (1977) by Katherine Paterson

My favorite modern publications:

1. The Kite Runner (2003) by Khaled Hosseini 

2. The Harry Potter series (1997-2007) by J.K. Rowling

3. Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series (2013-2015) and it’s prequel, The Palest Ink (2015) by Kay Bratt

4. Hurricane Summer (2021) by Asha Bromfield

5. The Color of Heaven (2013) by Julianne MacLean

Now, how to observe National Read a Book Day? Simply, sit back, relax and read a book. Celebrate with a new book you’ve been meaning to read or select an old favorite. Reading doesn’t even have to be a traditional book, especially if you are trying to encourage your children to read. Comic books and graphic novels are a great source of entertainment with a complex storyline and amazing art work. Manga books, Japanese comic or graphic novels,  have grown in popularity among young adults, with their unique style of art and storytelling. Dr. Laura Jimenez of Brown University has found that comic, graphic novels and manga “provide an entry point for struggling readers, challenge gifted readers, and help more students learn” (Maxwell, 2018) and may even lead young adults to become readers of traditional books as well as comics. You can also visit a local library or a local bookstore by yourself or take your family. Have your children pick out a book to read as a family. Still unsure what to read? Librarians and bookstore staff are great sources for recommendations as well as Amazon, Goodreads and other online sources. With the growing popularity and convenience of eBooks, books can now go with us wherever we go! 

In conclusion, I love reading. I spend many hours of my day reading and writing reviews for others to hopefully pick up and enjoy as well. Reading may be a solitary activity but it can open a wide community of fellow readers. Reading has great benefits for our bodies and our minds. With so many choices and so many genres, everyone can find books they will enjoy. Whether it is a traditional book, comic books or an eBook, reading is reading. It engages the mind, reduces stress and can help us build a better community as we learn to empathize with others. Remember, reading as little as 30 minutes a day can bring these benefits. Pick up your favorite book, sit back and immerse yourself in a different world for a while. Happy National Read a Book Day! 

Reference

Maxwell, Lucas (August 2, 2018). A Friendly Reminder that Comic Books Still Count as Reading. Bookriot.com. https://bookriot.com/comic-books-count-as-reading/. Retrieved September 2, 2021. 

Stanborough, Rebecca Joy (October 15, 2019). Benefits of Reading Books: How It Can Positively Affect Your Life. Heathline.com. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books. Retrieved September 1, 2021. 

Mark: more lessons from the life of Jesus

Mark is the second book of the Gospels. Mark tells the stories of Jesus in a different from Matthew, he’s very cut to the chase kind of writer as this book is one of the shortest of the four books. He jumps straight into Jesus’s baptism, his ministry and his death and resurrection. I want to discuss three things that stood out to be as Mark recounted many of the many stories and lessons that Matthew did. Why does Jesus tell those he healed “not to tell” others about their healing? What exactly is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? What is the meaning behind the Parable of the Wicked Tenants?

First, Jesus gives strict orders for those he healed not to reveal who had healed them. In Mark 3:12, evil spirits saw him and proclaimed him the Son of God and he gave “strict orders not to tell who he was.” In Mark 8:30, he warned his disciples not to reveal who he was. These two verses are just a couple examples of Jesus telling someone to stay quiet about their healing. Why did Jesus tell them not to say anything? For the instance in Mark 3:12, Jesus did not want a false image of why he was here on earth to travel around. As many were looking for a military or religious leader to fight against Rome. This was not Jesus’s mission yet. He was here to offer salvation not come as a warrior, that role would come later. In Mark 8:30, he says not to reveal who he was because the disciples did not know the whole picture yet and still needed instructions about his death and resurrection to come before they can truly know who he is. What does this mean for us? It is an example of why we need more instructions, more knowledge of who Christ is before we can proclaim him to the world.

Second, Jesus speaks of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Mark 3:29 as the eternal sin. Many Christians have come to call this the unforgivable sin as Jesus says it “will never be forgiven.” What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy is defined as the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things and the Holy Spirit is the aspect of God which actively interacts with believers. To blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is reveals a heart-attitude of unbelief and unrepentance. It is the deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit and rejecting God himself. It is to deny the active work of God in one’s life or in the world. While all other sins and blasphemes are forgivable, ones against the Holy Spirit are not (verses 28-29). When Christ was speaking about this unforgivable sin, he was not directing it to his disciples or those who believed. He directed it to the religious leaders, teachers of the law who accused him of being possessed by Beelzebub (Satan). They had denied the reality of his miracles. They refused to believe that Jesus’s power came from God. It is people who will continue to deny Christ and God despite what they see before them.

Third, the Parable of the Wicked Tenants in Mark 12:1-12 is a lesson about people. The parable goes that a man plants a vineyard and he rents the vineyard to some farmers and takes a journey (verse 1). At harvest, he sends a servant to collect from of the fruit of the vineyard, the tenants beat the servant and send him away empty handed (verse 2-3). The man sends another servant and he too is treated shamefully (verses 4). He sends other servants, some are killed, and others beaten (verse 5). Finally, the man sends his son thinking he would be respected by the tenants (verse 6). The tenants decide to kill the son and take his inheritance for themselves (verses 7-8). What does the man do? He will come to kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others (verse 9). The man is God and the vineyard is Israel. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel who rejected the prophets sent by God and who rejected Jesus. Jesus is the son who has been sent and he tells this parable to expose the religious leaders’ plot to kill him. He let them know he knew what they were plotting and warned them it would not go unpunished.

In conclusion, the book of Mark is a short and concise book of Jesus’ life, ministry and his death and resurrection. Jesus’s instruction to “not to tell other about him” is an illustration that we need further instruction. I know when I read God’s word and I have a moment of inspiration, I want to go and shout it to everyone: Look what I discovered! But often I found that I first need to ponder this revelation. What does it mean to me? What will it mean to others? Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit isn’t usually something a believer needs to worry about as it is the rejection of God. And Christians are taught to be weary of false teachers; however, those who are true believers will (or should I say “should”?) recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of others. Lastly, the Parable of the Wicked Tenants is a look into the type of people in the world: those who reject Christ and those who will inherit the vineyard when he returns.