Happy National Handwriting Day and Happy Birthday, John Hancock!  Established by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association in 1977, National Handwriting Day was a way to promote the consumption of pens, pencils, and writing paper while celebrating the birthday of John Hancock (January 23), the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Many of us are familiar with the phrase, “Please put your John Hancock here”, referring to John Hancock’s distinctive and large signature as the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. The phrase is a direct request for your autograph or signature.

However, handwriting has become a debatable topic as some schools have chosen not to teach cursive writing in favor of printing letters instead. Both cursive and printed letters provide a variety of benefits. Both strengthen fine motor skills, but cursive is the stronger of the two. However, printing is more widely used in books, newspapers, forms, and websites, and it is easier to read than cursive.

I grew up in a school system that taught the Palmer Method of cursive writing, and I can recall the painstaking process of trying to perfect my handwriting. Many of you may remember the “push pull” and “making ovals” drills that helped us put the right slant and shape on our cursive abilities. All these years later, many younger people who receive my cursive cards or letters cannot read my handwriting.

However, may I say that handwriting is a Biblical concept? God has chosen three times to record in His own handwriting that which He wished man, especially, to notice. Once the finger of God traced the letters in the solid stone, a second time on the plaster of a king’s palace wall, and a third time in the drifting sand.

The Writing on Stone

Deuteronomy 9:10 highlights Moses receiving the stone tablets of the Covenant from the Lord on Mount Sinai, inscribed by God’s own finger. The Ten Commandments were given after Moses broke the first set due to Israel’s sin of idolatry (the golden calf).

The Writing on Plaster

Daniel 5:5-28 describes the feast King Belshazzar held, using sacred vessels from Jerusalem’s temple for his drunken revelry and praise of false gods. In that same hour, a disembodied hand emerged, writing on the plaster of the wall. The “writing on the wall” was a direct message from God to Belshazzar, warning of the imminent end of his kingdom due to his pride and defiance.

The Writing on the Ground

The third time we see God’s writing is found in John 8:3-11, the story of the woman caught in adultery.  This passage teaches about Jesus’ profound mercy and grace, exposing the hypocrisy of religious leaders while offering redemption rather than condemnation. Jesus challenged the self-righteous accusers (“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”) and then forgave the woman, telling her to “go, and sin no more.” Jesus didn’t condone adultery but showed that true justice includes mercy and a chance to change, shifting focus from punishment to spiritual restoration.

So, what do you say on National Handwriting Day? Is handwriting a Biblical concept? Whatever your answer is, the irony of my post being in print rather than cursive is not lost on me!