Bat
Bats navigate terrain and find their food by echo location. A bat emits a unique soundwave, which bounces off the bugs and objects in its environment and return to the bat, giving even a relatively blind bat the ability to maneuver safely and find sustenance.
For scripture reading, a Bat is someone who reads scripture best in community. If you are a Bat, you are likely more of an auditory learner or even an external processor. While much of scripture reading is done visually—reading from a physical book or off of a phone and processing silently—auditory learners can struggle with this pattern. If you are a Bat, you could read the Bible silently every day for a year and feel as if you got nothing out of it…because that’s not how you learn. It doesn’t seem to click for you unless you hear it. So, Bats tend to read scripture out loud in some way—whether that’s the Bible in mp3 form on their phone while on a walk or a drive, or reading aloud to themselves in their home.
The best way for Bats to engage in reading scripture is communally. When you engage Scripture communally, you naturally hear it and speak it—which works well for both auditory learners and external processers. If you are a Bat, a good rhythm for you might be a reading group: a group of people who are devoted to reading scripture together. It might be helpful to read or listen to the passage first privately for your initial understanding, but then to find others to read and discuss with.
This group may be your Life Group that you’re in, or a long time Christian friend or family member. Or if you’re new in the faith, you might find someone who is a long-time, faithful reader to help you understand what you’re hearing. Regardless, when you hear scripture being read aloud, and you can talk about it with others in the faith, you will understand more and it will stay with you.
For scripture reading, a Bat is someone who reads scripture best in community. If you are a Bat, you are likely more of an auditory learner or even an external processor. While much of scripture reading is done visually—reading from a physical book or off of a phone and processing silently—auditory learners can struggle with this pattern. If you are a Bat, you could read the Bible silently every day for a year and feel as if you got nothing out of it…because that’s not how you learn. It doesn’t seem to click for you unless you hear it. So, Bats tend to read scripture out loud in some way—whether that’s the Bible in mp3 form on their phone while on a walk or a drive, or reading aloud to themselves in their home.
The best way for Bats to engage in reading scripture is communally. When you engage Scripture communally, you naturally hear it and speak it—which works well for both auditory learners and external processers. If you are a Bat, a good rhythm for you might be a reading group: a group of people who are devoted to reading scripture together. It might be helpful to read or listen to the passage first privately for your initial understanding, but then to find others to read and discuss with.
This group may be your Life Group that you’re in, or a long time Christian friend or family member. Or if you’re new in the faith, you might find someone who is a long-time, faithful reader to help you understand what you’re hearing. Regardless, when you hear scripture being read aloud, and you can talk about it with others in the faith, you will understand more and it will stay with you.