The present country of Algeria, that part of the country on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, gifted us with the birth of a person usually recognized as a rare, unusually brilliant individual.  His mother, Monica, tutored her son, Augustine, in the languages and religious views of their age.  My suggestion is that we liken Monica and her son, Augustine, in a manner similar to the influence of Mary to the life of Jesus.

Reading, writing, searching, and making commitments

In Milan, at 30 years of age, a master debater and knowledgeable in principal streams of thought, Augustine viewed his mother’s Christian faith as a negative.  Augustine’s most memorable book, “The Confessions of St. Augustine,” reveal a gigantic turning point in his life. It’s that turning point I wish to underscore and lift out with my personal belief. Reading can make all the difference in a person’s life. We have today, all the electronic devices and technical gizmos needed to allow the sharing and receiving of information, but reading is still the point of entry into a sane and satisfying life.

There are many forms of conversion in the middle of academic alternatives and theories in this man’s teaching and writing. In this essay, I wish to invite a view. The view: In this life, miracles may occur. Augustine testifies to hearing a voice — a voice he attributes to the Divine:  “Take up and read!” Parts of the Bible, scriptures in the Greek language, were before him. His eyes focused on a statement. “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Yes, that’s part of the good book.  In reading and responding to similar statements, we might not, as in the case with Augustine, become a bishop in the Christian church. Today in preparation for religious leadership, most students will have assignments in the major works of Augustine’s spiritual reflections. The sanctuary that was recently the location for “The Messiah,” presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, is a reminder of a history that lives. Austin’s St. Augustine Church, was birthed, we may say, in the reading of consequent devotions of a searching person.

Among the items I focus my readings on are newspapers, reports, journals, e-mails, magazines, letters, books, and agendas for meetings. Primarily, books are my family. There is a special companionship that I find with my wife, Becky, in that she provides constant “book conversation.”

What to cultivate:  exposure to reading materials

I have come to realize that if you give a person a book, that person will be nurtured for a day, maybe a week, but help a person build a personal library, and he or she will be sustained for a lifetime. The various forms of written materials provide us with information. We, of course, select what words will consume our time, and fulfill our thinking and emotions. The beauty of available written materials, is that we can be selective and place the writings in time slots of our own choosing. Of course, written materials such as particular information like schedules and reporting received and shared at an office desk, may demand immediate attention.

In the larger fields where words are arranged to give aesthetic pleasure and satisfy our curiosity, deepen or expand our emotions, we are the master of the environment.

The expansion of a knitting together of feelings, compassion, decision-making, and understanding society, is the gift to be found in books or what we term “enduring literature.” Examples are the writings of Albert Camus, who pushes us to ask the “big questions,” and Hemingway, to look at the participants of war and also the lore of the sea. For “who done its,” we can seek mysteries, or to plunge into horror, we can pick up Stephen King. We reflect on poets like Carl Sandburg, who aid us in focusing on the vividness of a single word, or Robert Frost, who reveals the tenderness of proper relationships. Certainly we must add the novelist (also a scientist of sorts), Barbara Kingsolver, who creates poetic lines revealing the dynamics of family life, and Sonia Sotomayor, reflecting as a Hispanic on law, order, and justice. For revisiting storytelling, often sharing the lives of Native Americans, turn to a Minnesota writer such as Louise Erdrich and her Birchbark Books bookstore. A reminder: Richard Wright’s novel, “Native Son,” is still required reading in some high schools. The goal of the equality of the races is an ongoing goal.

Books and teaching of reading appreciation

We in the Austin area are very fortunate to have a bookstore in our downtown area. The variety and comprehensiveness invite your visit. Bud Higgins is known by multiple residents, especially for his grand high school swimming teams. If he is not seen at our senior center where he is a noble raconteur, he’ll be at his bookstore on Main Street.  It’s located on the east side of Main Street, a short walk north of Oakland Avenue (110 Main Street North ­— Phone:  507-396-0364). Your browsing this important Austin business may lead you to the truth of C.S. Lewis, who said:  “We read to know that we are not alone.”

My familiarity with the schools in our area, both public and private, place a premium hopefully, on the teaching of language skills.  That, of course, is based on early reading ability. If the works of Kate DiCamillo are not a part of a number of classrooms, something is being missed. May I be so brave ­— ha! — to say a must read for introducing students, is her latest book, “Flora and Ulysses.” I not only feed the squirrels, I read about them.  Thank you, Kate. You are a super talented Minnesota author.

Can we really live well, lacking introspection or developing what I term “the inner person?” Is delight too strong a word to describe the pleasures of reading? While I discourage being tribal on “weed” (now much in our public conversation), in writing this essay, I encourage getting high on the treasures of what is in print.

We are reminded that disciplined reading is even the door to being an actor or actress. Spencer Tracy, for instance, opined about acting:  “Know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture.”  His nursery school, you can bet, had encouragement in reading.

Finally, why do I continue to read? Among the reasons is that I find insights “truths,” principles, ideas, and lessons containing ideals that reduce my frowns. For instance, today’s reading gifted me with an African proverb. “Corn can’t expect justice from a court composed of chickens.”

Marvin Repinski is a retired United Methodist Pastor who lives in Austin.