Nurturing our Memory Skills
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. (Isaiah 46:9)
Memory is the foundation of our Christian faith. Throughout most of global history, humans were illiterate. The inability to read did not mean that people from previous centuries were necessarily ignorant. Before the printing press, books were written by hand, extremely expensive, and often unavailable except to the clergy and royalty. Even after the invention of the printing press, books remained too costly for most people. Yet, the faithful continued to learn their Bible. Instead of reading, Christians learned their Bible through memory.
With so many things at our fingertips today, we can download almost anything or save our thoughts with computer software. Why memorize scripture lessons when the Bible is as close as an app on our phone? Somewhere along the way, we started losing our memorization skills. In “Prevention” magazine, Lisa Bain offers the article “How to Remember Things Better.” Bain provides ways to “sharpen your memory.”
First, Bain helps refocus our memory by encouraging us to “Use the cues around you.” I learned a lot of ancient Hebrew in seminary and forgot most of it over the years. The few words and phrases I do remember included a cue. For example, I would play rhyming games. The word for walk in Hebrew is hollek. I would say, “Hollek, hollek, we’re going on a trek.” I would also sing silly songs as a cue. For example, “morning” in Hebrew is “Bocare,” so I would sing “Morning is bocare” to the tune “Morning Is Broken.” Silly but effective. Come up with your cues. (Ask me sometime about my soft-shoe number that helped me learn the Hebrew words for “he,” “she,” and “fish!”)
Next, Bain wants us to know that “Attention is the golden ticket of memory.” Most of us falsely believe attention is something we can do without much thought or practice. Paying attention is hard work and can only improve with regular practice. Yet, our memory will improve once we commit to focusing our attention regularly. Finally, Bain encourages us to “Write it down.” For most of my adult life, I have had familial tremors. My handwriting is terrible. It is easier for me to type. Yet, I still use the Goodnotes app on my iPad to write thoughts, etc., because it helps me to remember what I am thinking and reading. When I was an actor, I often had many lines to memorize. In summer theater, I would have three different plays coinciding. I wrote my lines over and over, and it made me more productive remembering.
Memory is vital to a healthy life. Memory is also a spiritual practice. Especially as we get older, memory becomes a worry. The more we practice using it, the better we can keep our memory healthy and vibrant. Pick a favorite Scripture passage. Then, do the heavy lifting of memorizing it. When you do, the Scripture passage will come alive in your heart, and you will become more confident using and trusting your memory. Memory was a blessing in the past and should remain an essential part of our lives, now and in the future.