In the last few weeks, I had the joy of entering into a new library. It was so wonderful, full of amazing books, inviting desks, digital catalogues and periodicals and journals. It even had a coffee shop attached…..

One of my first part time jobs was in a library. I loved sorting the books in the Dewey Decimal system, and trying to answer customer queries. You never knew what was going to happen next, and you were always learning.

There are so many quotations about the power of reading. We might think of Dr Seuss ‘ the more you read, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more places you will go.’ Or the quotation by Gail Carson Levine ‘ a library is infinity under a roof’. There are so many possibilities to learn new things about the planet, to get lost in an imaginative fictional world, to be challenged by the most exquisite wordsmanship in poetry and prose. It is being able to connect with the ideas and insights of millions of people around the planet on every conceivable topic. It is an open door to experiencing some of the most inspirational and uplifting of thoughts.

I love libraries because they offer opportunities to listen to some of the most inspiring people. However I choose not to read things which are cruel or offensive. I read things from different viewpoints, because I need to be challenged, and my mind enlarged. Yet I seek discernment as to what will build me up, rather than pull me down.

As a Christian, I do love reading the bible. I so appreciate the honesty of the psalms, the wisdom that different characters learn, the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, the letters written by leaders in the early church. Some parts are harder to understand- and lead to  questions as to why something was included, what an action meant in the culture of the day, how to interpret meaning. I pray for the holy spirit to help me, every time I open its pages. The words from psalm 119, verse 105 help:

     ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.’

The bible is a library of books in itself, and I pray for God to help me to approach its pages with humility, and a desire to learn more of His Love.

Having so many amazing books to read is such a gift. Having so many translations of the bible, and to have them so freely available is also something never to be taken for granted. May we use our libraries well, to keep them open. And may we take every opportunity to learn, and to grow in our appreciation of the world, and in our spiritual journey.

Gracious God, You spoke, and the heavens and the earth came into being. We thankyou for the power of words, and ask that they might be used not to diminish and destroy,  but to bless and to heal. Lord Jesus- Your teaching brings wisdom and truth. Help us to not just hear, but to live out Your truth. Holy spirit, we give thanks for the wonder and beauty of life, in all its complexity and depth- in the midst of it all, may we always be open to learning-  guide us to live well, and to love wisely. In Jesus’ name, Amen