In his Confessions, St. Augustine tells the story of a spiritual experience that triggered his conversion. Torn between his fleshly temptations and his attraction to Christianity, the future church father sat down beneath a fig tree and wept. Then, he heard a child’s voice chanting “Take up and read; Take up and read.” Augustine took this as a sign to read the Bible and immediately opened to Romans 13 where Paul warns against drunkenness and sexual immorality, urging readers instead to put on Jesus Christ.  

At these words, Augustine writes, “light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.” 

This has always been the case with Scripture, whose power to speak to restless hearts and to make wise the simple has not dimmed in the centuries since Augustine wrote Confessions. But today, shockingly few people are heeding the voice’s advice.  

Bible reading in the U.S. has fallen to what is likely an all-time low. Pew Research reported back in 2014 that 45% of American adults seldom or never read Scripture. Today, that number has shot to 61%. Just 22% said they read the Bible outside of religious services at least once a week. 

Some of this disengagement from the Bible is disengagement from books in general. Americans are reading less than at pretty much any time in history. The U.S. Census Bureau found in 2023 that less than half of American adults had read even a single book in the last year, down six points from the previous decade.  

But there’s more to the story than just the declining popularity of books. Despite rarely cracking it open, people do seem to be increasingly interested in the idea of the Bible. I noted last month on Breakpoint that Bible sales were up 22% in 2024, which makes for a confusing intersection of trends that reminds me of Michael Scott’s line in The Office: “Read it? I own it! But no, I have not read it.” 

This gap between Bible sales and Bible study is a reminder not to celebrate prematurely every time a poll hints at a pro-religion trend. But it’s also an opportunity for those who know the power of God’s written word to be the voice in people’s lives saying those old and providential words: “Take up and read.”  

Opening God’s Word, whether physically or digitally, and simply reading it, not just a verse at a time, but as Augustine would go on to do, in its entirety and frequently, is a must. We should do this individually, of course. But the role of the local church here is also vital. It has long been common even in professedly Bible-believing congregations for the pastor to get up on Sunday, read a verse or two, and then talk for 40 minutes, often about unrelated material. This habit of using Scripture as a quote at the beginning of a spiritual TED Talk is not edifying, nor is it what was historically meant by “preaching.”  

Churches, pastors, parents, and teachers should instead seek to engage Scripture deeply and nourish their people with the whole counsel of God. Tell the story of creation and redemption in all its splendor, tragedy, and hope, not skipping any chapter but trusting its Author when He promises His Word will not return void.  

This is especially important because as the idea of the Bible becomes more popular than actually reading the Bible, people will turn to psychological gurus who tickle their ears with strange and novel readings of Scripture. This has sadly been the case with Jordan Peterson, who often gives good life advice, but has lately tried his hand at biblical commentary and wound up saying some strange and heretical things. It should go without saying, but it’s a bad idea to get our sermons from people who refuse to affirm that God exists, whatever else they may say that’s wise or useful. 

Finally, while reading the text of the Bible itself both individually and corporately is important, we should take advantage of the many innovative ways Christians have come up with to reintroduce a biblically illiterate culture to this life-and-civilization-changing book.  

A decade ago, news of declining Bible reading triggered efforts like The Bible Project, You Version, Bible reading plans and apps, and audio Bibles. Today, these represent vast catalogues of highly accessible resources that serve a similar purpose to homilies and stained-glass windows in past centuries, when literacy was also low. I’ve seen these efforts bear bountiful fruit, but far more people need to hear about them. We can be the ones to sow those seeds.  

Make no mistake: Augustine’s spiritual awakening under the fig tree and the transformation it would bring to civilization is just as possible today, because God’s plan to reveal Himself through Scripture has not changed. As Isaiah wrote, the Word of our God doesn’t wither or fade, but endures forever. It doesn’t do much good sitting on a shelf, though, which is why those of us already transformed by the Bible are called to be that voice of invitation that changes someone’s life. Thankfully with so many Bibles and resources out there, there’s never been a better time—or more ways—to get the Word out.