Back to School
For those of you who know me well, you will know that I
should have been a doctor.
Now, this is not for the reasons you may think. I have
no great skill or knowledge in the medical field. No. I should have been a
doctor because my handwriting skills surpasses any doctor’s penmanship.
That’s right. I have very messy handwriting. This is
why I type most everything I can. But in saying that, I have filled numerous
notebooks with quotes, verses, book summaries etc with chicken scratchings that
somewhat resemble a form of handwriting. No matter how hard I try, my hand
scribbles so fast to keep up with my overactive thought processes and the
result is an untidy page that I hope someone besides myself can read and
understand.
Okay, so why am I talking about this, you wonder?
I grew up in the analogue age. The age when all
schoolwork was done with pen and paper. The dog really could chew up your
homework. Phone numbers were compiled in a large book that everyone had access
to. Letters were written by hand, mud maps were hastily scribbled on a scrap of
paper and mobile phones, Bible apps and iPads were nowhere to be seen. We’ve
come a long way since then.
Believe it or not, these tools of years gone by
might be just the thing to freshen up your time with the Lord this year.
How long has it been since you took the time to hand
write out a passage of Scripture? How long has it been since you wrote a verse
on a piece of card and hung it up where you could regularly see it?
Do you know why I’m so passionate about this? It’s not
because I have lovely penmanship, because we’ve already established the fact
that I don’t! (Just ask my family if you want proof). The reason I’m so
passionate about handwriting the words we read in our Bibles is because it does
something for you that no amount of Bible app reading, or even physical Bible
reading will do.
Stay with me while I just nerd out on this topic for a
bit.
Studies have found that handwriting, compared to typing,
(which by the way, I’m doing right now) results in more complex brain connectivity
patterns which in turn enhances learning and memory.
A study done by one research group studied 36 students
to compare brain activity while writing by hand and typing. They used EEG data
(electroencephalogram- a
test that measures electrical activity in the brain) to come to some interesting
conclusions.
They found that “Handwriting, whether in cursive on a touchscreen or
traditional pen and paper, activated extensive brain regions, vital for memory
and learning”.
They found that
connectivity of different brain regions increased when the participants wrote by
hand, but not when they typed.
They also found that the students learnt more and retained
more information when they took handwritten notes as opposed to typed notes.
Okay, back to the Bible.
A few years back, I decided that I would become more
intentional in writing Scripture and I purchased some hard cover books that
were specific books of the Bible in an empty lined notebook. In these I could
write out, word for word, letter by letter, every jot and every tittle, the words
of Scripture.
Now, I will admit, I haven’t made huge progress in
writing out the whole Bible, which I never set out to do, but I have written a
fair amount.
So why in the world would I do this when I have access
to as many Bibles as my bank balance will allow me to purchase, at my very fingertips?
I want to give you some reasons for why handwriting
the Word of God is important and let you come to your own conclusions (after
giving it a try, of course).
One of the first things you’ll notice when you begin
to write out passages of Scripture is that it helps you slow down and soak
it in.
As I write, I am focusing on each word as I read it
and write it down. I look from the pages of my Bible to the pages of my notebook.
There are no annoying pop-up messages, no ads, no email notifications. The distractions
fall away and my mind is engaged in an intentional way.
You know how it is as you read your Bible. As you
read, you often find your mind wandering. Thoughts come flooding in and before
you know it, you suddenly realise that you have no idea what you’ve been
reading for the past 5 minutes. Anyone relate?
The simple act of writing out what you’re reading
helps you to stay focused.
Another thing that handwriting the Bible does is that it
forces you to slow down and observe more. So not only are you soaking it
in, but you are observing more of what the passage says. You begin to see repeated
words or phrases, because your hand is performing the same movements and as you
read and write the repeated words, you begin to notice why the word is used and
how it is used.
As you write, you see words you may not understand and
these stay in your mind more than when you just skim over them in a cursory
reading.
Handwriting Scripture also strengthens the learning
process and is helpful for all learning preferences.
We all learn differently, but for the most part, we
all have a preference for how we receive and pass on information.
If you are a visual learner, then seeing the passage
as you write it helps you to retain it. Using different coloured pens or highlighters
will be beneficial to you. Seeing the words come to life on the page will hit
the spot for you.
If you are more of an auditory learner, then don’t
think I’m going to let you off the hook. I’ll bet that you hear the words in
your mind as you write them. Better still, read them aloud or mumble them under
your breath as you pen them down.
And if you’re a kinaesthetic learner that learns more
through experience and doing, then this is right up your alley, because the
simple act of moving the pen on the paper, the slight arm movements, the page
turns, the fingers loosening and tightening on the pen will help to imprint the
words on your heart.
It is well documented that writing by hand stimulates neural
activity in the brain which encourages creativity and enhances brain health.
So, writing out Scripture is not only good exercise
for your mind and heart, but it is also great for your brain!
You retain a lot more of what you read when you physically
write it out. Why do you think it is that back in my primary school days we
were forced to write 100 lines of “I will not talk in class”? (And yes,
I did say WE). Why did our teachers force us to do this? Because they knew the
power of writing and retaining information. They hoped that the physical act of
writing repeated phrases would help reinforce the rule we had disobeyed.
This is one of the reasons handwriting out verses,
over and over, that you are trying to memorize is so beneficial.
There are so many benefits to handwriting the Word of
God, but I’ll just give you one last one.
Writing Scripture leaves a legacy. A
handwritten Bible or portions thereof, leaves a very tangible legacy of faith.
Whether you choose to write a different passage of Scripture
each day, or just your favourite verses. Whether you write them on a greeting
card or in a notebook, or on a post it stuck to the wall, it’s the process
itself that is most important.
Can you imagine if you made your own copy of a book of
the Bible, how precious it would become to your children or grandchildren,
passed down from generation to generation?
But I want you to know this. Simply reading or writing
Scripture will not make you a better Christian. If you do not
read, obey, apply and share what you read, then the only benefit is your brain
health. And what God is most interested in is our heart health.
In the Old Testament we read of the laws of God and
how the Jewish people were told to ‘write them on the posts’. I’ll leave
you to do your own study on what a Mezuzah was and the meaning behind
the command given to them. Needless to say, God saw it as important, and so should
you.
Deuteronomy 6:9 KJV - And thou shalt write
them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
The word ‘write’ is found 91 times in the Bible. It’s
an important part of God’s Word.
Can I challenge you if you have never written the
Word of God by hand, with pen and paper, then start today!
Start with your favourite verse or passage. Grab a
notebook or a piece of card. Sit down and soak in the Words of Scripture.
Observe as you write. Read aloud as you write. Listen to what you’re reading.
Slow down. Take it in. Meditate on it.
Joshua 1:8 KJV - This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that
thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Be intentional.
Be thoughtful.
Be disciplined.
