A Call to Literacy
“And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. If it is given to those who can read, with the command, ‘Read this,’ they say, ‘We cannot, for it is sealed.’ And if it is given to those who cannot read, saying ‘Read this,’ they say, ‘We cannot read.’ ”
At a foundational level, Christians are people of the book! As such, throughout much of its history, people of faith have focused on literacy. Christians nurtured educational opportunities, forming educational institutions at all levels. The Presbyterian Church has one of the most educated memberships among Christian denominations. Presbyterians brought their scholarship to their faith, asking hard questions and studying it. Today, many Presbyterians critically study the Bible, believing that sacred Scripture is strong and valid enough to withstand critical evaluation. So, it is spiritually concerning when our society witnesses a decline in education.
“The Atlantic,” February 2, 2026, article “Stop Meeting Students Where They Are” by Walt Hunter warns, “At some point over the past 15 years, kids stopped reading. Or at least their teachers stopped asking them to read the way they once did.” Understandably, our children’s literacy and overall learning have suffered dramatically. Hunter shares, “I’ve seen the effects of this change up close, having taught English in college classrooms since 2007, and I’ve witnessed the slow erosion of attention firsthand, too: students on computers in the back of lecture halls, then on phones throughout the classroom, then outsourcing their education to artificial intelligence.”
It is easy to blame young readers and their teachers for the decline, but they, along with the rest of society, are facing distractions not even contemplated thirty years ago. Walt Hunter is a university professor, and he found that by challenging and redirecting expectations, students can catch up and complete the reading. Hunter said, “Instead of hopscotching from one excerpt to the next, I’d create small eddies in time. We’d spend several days, sometimes a couple of weeks, on a single author.” We, in the church, should follow Hunter’s example. Rather than focus on a single verse in sermons and Christian Education, we should focus on larger passages and books in the Scriptures.
To reaffirm the value of reading the Bible and other books, we must intentionally share what we are reading with younger generations. Modeling your reading as a parent, grandparent, sibling, or fellow church member does make an impact. Do not assume people know that you are a reader. Share what you are reading, and just as importantly, share why reading is a vital part of your life. When you do, young people’s curiosity will be piqued, and they will find the value once again. Gently let them know that God’s Spirit speaks through the Bible and also enhances all our reading. Help our society value education and literacy again is a spiritual command!
