Rewards for Reading?
I sometimes despair at the future of literacy, especially amongst Christians. By literacy, I don’t mean the simple act of being able to read a word or a sentence. I mean taking the time to read books, both for enjoyment and edification. Our technologies are making us illiterate in that sense, encouraging us to doom-scroll ad infernum. Yes, there are always exceptions. By the fact that you’re reading this, I imagine you’re one. But, generally speaking, we’re already in a new dark age, an age of brain rot.
The small city-state of Singapore has recognized this as a threat to its well-being. It has come up with an innovative program to get its citizens reading. You can read about it here in this story from CNN. The National Library Board’s chief, Melissa Tam, says, “While short-form content helps us stay informed, long-form reading strengthens attention, critical thinking, and imagination.” Singapore’s government recognizes that readers are leaders. Readers are “curious, thoughtful, discerning and equipped to navigate an increasingly complex world.”
Singapore’s program offers a financial incentive. If you have 50 days of 15 minutes reading sessions, you earn $1.00 SGD. It’s not much, but it could be enough to make a difference for some. Participants log their reading hours through a government website. Singapore already stands out on top in global reading, tied with China. Meanwhile, Australia, Canada, and the United States sit down in the 11-13th spots respectively. Singapore obviously sees a looming problem and is being proactive about it.
If Singapore sees how reading is a matter of national health, shouldn’t churches see it even more so as a matter of spiritual health? But is that what we see? While levels of reading are higher in church communities by virtue of being Bible-people, most Christians aren’t reading beyond what they “have to read” – at least according to my observations. How can we get our church members to read more? By “more,” I mean not only Christian non-fiction, but also helpful and interesting non-Christian books, both fiction and non-fiction.
A strategy that’s often been tried (and seldom works) is verbal persuasion. The article or blog post making the case for reading isn’t reaching those who need it. The sermon mentioning the importance of reading falls on the deaf ears of those who “just don’t like reading.” G.K. Chesterton famously wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” The same can be said for reading. People lack the motivation to give it a try.
So are we left with the Singapore solution? Are churches going to have to incentivize reading through reward programs? We have to start thinking outside the box. I could envision something like this on a limited basis. We want to start people on the habit of reading while they’re young. Reading usually drops off after high school, so limit such a program to 18-25 year olds. Offer double-rewards for reading Christian non-fiction. I’m not saying this is the definitive answer, but it’s worth considering.
What do we lose if reading rates continue to decline in our churches? The same things mentioned by Singapore’s Melissa Tam: critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, discernment, and an ability to navigate challenges. Those things matter for Christians. Moreover, God warned in Hosea 4:6 that his “people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Ignorance is destructive, especially theological ignorance. It’s therefore time to raise the alarm about the state of reading – and take action to address it. Churches must start thinking carefully about how.
