Bibles for Africa

A short post - I'm between Christmas / New Year visits.

I saw this link on a friends Facebook wall, and was seriously moved by it.  The video shows the arrival by aeroplane of a small crate of Bibles to a tribe called the Kimyal, in Indonesia, and the tribes response to receiving God's word.

Immediately I felt ashamed of how little value I put on my own Bible(s).  I have a study Bible, a pocket Bible, a medium-sized Bible, as well as a Kindle version, PDF's and a Bible app on my phone, and the ability to access any translation I wish via sites such as Bible Gateway.  Yet I take them so much for granted.  I should feel extremely privileged to have the Word of God quite literally at my fingertips any time I want.

As a response, I prayed, then googled and found Bibles For Africa - a site run by Advent Hope Ministries which aims to provide Bibles in native translations for people across Africa.  I donated $10 and felt a bit better for a moment - realising that I'd covered the cost of a Bible that someone will cherish.

Then I realised, $10, which is £6.59 in proper money, is less than the cost of the takeaway I had just eaten with my daughter.  I also realised that when I sit down to read God's Word later, I'd be doing so on a large comfortable sofa, with a cup of coffee in a warm, safe environment.  So really, my donation while helpful, is giving so little of myself.

I tried to even jokingly justify my actions by comparing them to my baby nieces actions on boxing day.  My 6-month old niece was sitting with me, and an Oxfam advert came on the TV.  She found it hilarious and laughed her head off.  Obviously at 6 months old, she wasn't knowingly laughing because there are starving children in the world.  She laughs whenever she's trying to interact with someone. (She has no idea that people on the TV can't see her) I actually realised what she was doing, one child to another, was trying to connect with another child.  Or to look at it another way, one of God's Children reaching out to another of God's Children.

Surely, as we are all God's Children, shouldn't we all be trying to reach out to each other, and what better way than to give another an everlasting gift - the Gospel.

For my part, I'll be trying to love and cherish the Bible(s) I have, and appreciate the liberty I have to read and own them, and be actively looking for opportunities to put God's Word in the hands and hearts of others.