If you are an avid reader like I am, one of the real joys of life is discovering a new author whose writing is enjoyable. The author may not actually be new. It is enough if she or he is new to me. It feels like finding a new friend. As we age, finding a new friend is a less common experience than it seems to be when we are young. I am puzzled by people who rarely read. I am not critical of them, but I find reading so fulfilling that I can’t imagine not reading frequently and regularly. Perhaps it is just that we have differing preferences in life.
Growing up in an economically and culturally limited environment, it was reading that opened a larger world for me. Through books, I could journey to far off places. I could imagine beautiful vistas and magnificent environments. I could meet famous people and feel a part of history. Through that great book of faith, The Bible, I could walk in Galilee with Jesus and his other disciples. I could escape Egypt with Moses and the children of Israel. I could journey with Paul and even look into the royal throne room of God with John the Revelator. All this through reading!
For me, reading is part of what makes life rich, meaningful, and significant.