Is reading worth it?

I suppose in some way it's ironic that one would have to "read" this blog in order to understand the purpose of this blog...

I've recently been watching the televised speeches, debates and such from the Sydney Writer's Festival. There was a man, he was a critic and he was discussing the idea of whether reading's really worth anything along with two other on the panel.

He happened to bring up a quote from C.S Lewis, a famed writer of Christian faith. In my own experience of C.S Lewis i can bear witness to what a beautiful and gifted mind God bestowed on Him, but then again i am entirely aware that this is of my own perspective.

"We read to know that we are not alone"

The critic questioned this statement as he had with the quotes of others authors. The topic that arose and as i could see, could be detrimental to the Christian way of life is the question of "What about those who cannot read".

As a Christian with the Word of God readily available, i could give an answer from scripture. When looking at Romans 1:18-20

"¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

But say i couldn't read? Say i didn't have the bible to go from? Theoretically speaking, say i was a person with faith yet no Word. I have been affected by creation, and it has led to a wonder whether there is something beyond my own existence, the existence of a greater divine and intelligent being, but that's where it would end. God could work in many ways from here so that i might know Him, revelation, direct appearance (which only through provision of the word we can udnerstand would lead to death) so that i might know him more, but there's no way i could expect this to happen.

So if we do not withold the ability to read, are we alone? If i had no ability to read the word of God could i ever understand and know truly that i am not alone? How does this affect our understanding that God is a good and loving God? Up until the point where faith is consolidated in the word, faith takes on the appearance of "feeling". i "feel" like theres something more than my own existence here on this land. Therein lies another issue, from the word we understand that feelings are deceptive, but without the word our feelings take on the purpose of pure faith.

Is that what we're truly trying to question? The idea of faith? Lately through much thought in many different arenas i've been openly confessing the idea that faith is reasonable. That assumption lies on the precedent that we have the bible to relate to. Take the bible out of the picture, one could say that faith is then unreasonable however there is no denying that it is faith all the same.

But is this unreasonable faith, without the Word of the Bible, a faith that can save? From creation we can certainly wonder if there is more, or even find truth in that for ourselves, but without the Word there is no Jesus (i say this in consideration of ancient tribes hidden away in the furthest ends of the earth).

I think at this point i've reached an end in my thought process where we need to consider that this is within God's jurisdiction and He will choose to affect those people or He won't. How He will do that and whether He intends to do it is not something we can't know.

I hope some of you followed and understood. This is a battle, and i'm just trying to reconcile how a faith in God and an academic philosophy can go hand-in-hand.

Peace and blessings