Listening to The New Testament

Those of you who come here frequently should know that, though I am very religious, I don't preach often. I don't want to give the impression that I think I'm better than anyone else. Because I'm not...really. But I know God lives and religion is a huge part of my life, and since this blog is about my life, I can't keep silent about that part of it. Sooooo, I've been listening to the New Testament for the past two weeks. I listen to many books on tape. It's become quite a habit. I can't go a day between books. A couple of weeks ago, there was a lull. I couldn't think of what to get next. I love Atwood but I've listened to a lot of her stuff and I need a change for awhile. Since I've never been able to read the Bible all the way through in print, I decided this would be good a time to try it on tape. I thought it would be huge, but it was on only 12 cassettes, which is about average for a book on tape. I was a little worried. I had tried to listen to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for the same reason: I just couldn't get through the book, it was so large. But I couldn't get through the tapes either. I found myself drifting off, thinking about other things. I never finished it. So I was sure the same thing would happen here. On the contrary, from the moment I put the first tape in, I was riveted. The narrator, Alexander Scourby, was perfect. I learned that it took him a year to produce the Bible on tape. And it was worth it. His performance and obvious knowledge of language and diction were superb. I found myself becoming immersed in the stories, my mind never wandering, and, at the same time, I found my belief in Jesus Christ and in the fact that he is my personal savior, the only one through whom I can be saved, growing. This experience has done wonders, not only for my faith, but for my daily attitude as well. My family would probably say that I haven't changed, that I'm still grumpy as ever. But the seeds of change are in me. The desire is in me. I'm afraid to quit the tapes. Now that they are done, I find myself wanting to start them over. I'm listening to Diamond Age now, because a friend brought it from his home, and it really is very good. But I'm afraid I'll never have an experience with a book on tape to match this one. Even Harry Potter, which was my last wonderful experience--one that I didn't want to end and I was down in the dumps when it did--doesn't come close to this one.