The Beauty of Classics

Of the many stories to be found in our world, some of the best are the delightfully old books of past generations. To many people, the classics are often thought of as boring, outdated. Titles that everyone has heard of without really knowing why or where they come from. To others, they are books assigned for school full of complicated words and very tedious concepts compared to the other books they’d rather be reading.

So, what are classics? Why are they so well known? Why should anyone care about them? Are they even worth reading?

First thing’s first; classics are generally books or stories that have withstood the test of time. They are books that heavily impacted people. Books that they couldn’t forget, rather would read again and again, and share with the next generations. These books changed mindsets, societies, and cultures.

How did they do this? Well, for example, one famous classic The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. During and after World War II he brought the vision of hope through darkness all while introducing a whole new concept of fantasy worlds. C. S. Lewis’s books touched people spiritually in a way that was original to that time. Dorothy Sayers brought a fascinating thrill of mystery with hints of deep Omniscience. Even non-Christian writers like Socrates or Aristotle — who brought a cohesive order to the science and art of reasoning — have heavily impacted our culture today. These are just a few examples! All of these writers had a level of genius in their works that caught people’s fancies and spread like wildfire.

Though the classics may seem old fashioned and useless to us now. Yes, they are old, but there is so much to be gained by reading them! Many of the classics hold a delightful wisdom in their depths — from character studies, to big life questions, to important topics about historical events. We can reap the wisdom from the past and apply them to our worldview, rounding out our beliefs. We can see historic events or current-world issues in a new light. We can grow as a person, learning from our ‘elders’ as it is. This is a wonderful thing, for — as Proverbs 1 & 2 tells us — growing in wisdom is better than all the wealth of this world. Wisdom is a fundamental part of our walk with God. Gaining this from people of past generations is an amazing way to do this. We get to view a fresh take on ideas from people who lived in a different setting and society from any we have today. They knew and experienced things in a way unlike anyone alive today. Reading the classics gives us the opportunity to access deep well of exclusive insight on our world.

Like any other new experience, it can take a trial or two to truly break into understanding them. The old language and style can take a moment to get used to, but once you have, many caskets of wisdom will be opened to you.