Hearing The Drum Beat

If you ever go to the library around story hour you will see it.
You will see faces of children mesmerized by what they are hearing.
You will hear the animated voice and see the gestures of the librarian as she reads.
The book in her hand holds a treasure.

I am sure that if you wave your hand in front of a child, they would not notice.
The story has captivated them.
They are involved in the plot and in the characters lives.
They want to know the resolution of the problem.

If you ever filmed your own child as you read to them, you would see the same reactions.
They are probably sitting close to you.
Their head may be on your shoulder.
Their hand may be on your arm.

They are captured by the words and by the story.
They are comforted by the closeness of you as you read.
They learn empathy as they are immersed in the character’s story.
They learn how to make inferences as they try to guess what might happen.

Reading aloud to my children when they were young was a daily occurrence.
I could not even count the number of books I read aloud to them.
We enjoyed chapter books; putting the bookmark in the page until tomorrow.
The stories became a part of us and to this day are still there in our memories.

We would sit on the porch swing and read under a blanket.
We would cuddle up on the sofa as they often begged for, just one more chapter.
There was something in the cadence of my voice that quieted them.
This was our time together; it was a wonderful thing to do before bedtime.

We would go to the library every two weeks.
I always carried a large satchel with me to hold all of our selections.
The older children would go off and choose their own books.
The younger ones stayed with me and we chose books together.

Some of the sweetest memories have to do with this precious time together.
We laughed at certain parts of a story.
We cried at other parts.
My children’s vocabulary increased without them even knowing it.

We even read together when they got a bit older.
We read the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
I loved when they saw the Gospel so clearly in Aslan’s death on the Stone Table.
They heard the story as Lewis wrote it; they heard the Story that was weaved all through.

I remembered hearing that the Bible was meant to be read aloud.
Most of us read our Bible silently.
I was encouraged to listen to an audio Bible.
I was encouraged to read passages out loud to myself.

I was changed.
I heard things that I never noticed when I read the passages silently.
I sometimes listen to the Bible as I walk, especially if it is a Bible study day.
I listen to the passage that we are studying; hearing it aloud makes it go down deep.

When you read the Bible out loud or listen to an audio version you can hear a drum beat.
You hear things that are repeated as if God was saying: Pay attention!
I remember first noticing that drum beat when I heard the Gospel of John read aloud.
Over and over, it is repeated: I tell you the truth; I tell you the truth.

When I listen to the creation account in the book of Genesis, I hear the repetition.
Over and over, it is repeated: According to their own kinds.
God created everything unique and distinct.
Everything God created is what God says it is; everything is the way God created it.

When I listen to the book of Exodus and the making of the Tabernacle, I hear the repetition.
Over and over, it is repeated: As the Lord commanded.
Precise instructions were given to Moses about how the Tabernacle was to be made.
There was no deviation from those instructions; God is holy and wants to be worshiped as holy.

When I listen to the book of Leviticus and the rules that were set in place, I hear the repetition.
Over and over, it is repeated: An aroma pleasing to the Lord.
Sacrifices that were offered over and over would be burned on the altar.
As the smoke went up from the fire, the aroma of repentance was pleasing to God.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
(Acts 8:26-39)

Philip knew what the Ethiopian eunuch was reading.
Philip knew because the Ethiopian eunuch was reading out loud.
The eunuch needed someone to explain the passage to him.
Philip began right at that very passage and told the Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus.

A drum beat is ever present as we read God’s Word.
God’s repetition is purposeful.
Pay attention!
I tell you the truth!

Listen to the drum beat over and over again.

 

2 responses to “Hearing The Drum Beat”

1. This happened to my grandfather. Although he wasn’t reading out loud, a man on the ferry he was riding on noticed he was reading the Bible and asked if he understood it. That started a lifelong friendship (the man was a minister) and Pop became a Christian shortly after. His minister friend performed the wedding ceremony when Pop married my grandmother. This is one of my favorite Bible passages!

   Reply

   • Sue,
     Thank you for sharing such a special, personal story. How wonderful for you to have that legacy. I imagine that every time you hear or read that passage, you think of your grandfather. What a blessing.
     Gina

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