So today I received a text with a bible verse in it. Unfortunately I was at work so could not look it up straight away but at lunch time I decided that I was going to try and find a bible.
I work in Ealing which is home to a pretty big library so that was where I headed.
Having found the "religious" section I proceeded to look for a Bible. There were Bible dictionary's, prayer books, guide books ect. But no Bibles. I then decided to check the other religions sections to see if there was one in there (by someone moving it), there were plenty of Quran's and Jewish manuscripts and such like but no bibles...so I head to the desk:
"Hi, Im looking for a Bible I wonder if you can help me"
"Just give me a moment" *runs off to look in the religious section* "Try upstairs in the reference section"
So I head upstairs, and once again reach the desk:
"Hi, Im looking for a Bible"
"Umm follow me" *Takes me to the religious reference section* (once again full of Quran's and other world religions books) "Sorry there are no bibles here"
"Do you actually have any Bibles?"
"Well not many people read it"
At this point, I decided not to tell the man that it is one of the most read books in the world.
Eventually by digging through old books they found me a copy of the Bible.
I was shocked, a library in West London which is home to hundreds of Churches and Church Schools. Schools which teach RE do not have a Bible to hand. The worst part was the librarian honestly believed that not many people own or read a Bible. Something, somewhere has gone horribly wrong.
For a view of the other side of the picture: when I was last in South Africa, we found Bible being sold in the supermarket (just your average, normal supermarket) in the stationery section.
ReplyDeleteWell obviously Ealing Library is going DOWN...
ReplyDeleteit is very interesting to hear; gone are the days where Bibles were only scarce behind the Iron Curtain. We should go in there and give them a donation to correct their stocklist!
Glad you found the verse at last, im sure it was worth the trouble :)L x x
would also be interested to know if the South African Bible was an English translation or in Afrikaans/Zulu...
ReplyDeleteCrazy times! Thanks for sharing. God obviously wanted to open our eyes to that by you receiving that text and you wanting to search for a Bible. It just goes to show how much we really need to step out in faith an evangelise. Even just telling them that people do actually read Bibles will take them a step closer since it seems to be a process of getting to know Jesus.
ReplyDeleteEverybody within an hour of Ealing go to the library and ask for a Bible.
ReplyDeleteInfact, anyone within an hour of a library go to Ealing and ask for a Bible.
Something like that anyway
If we all do it in the next two weeks then we might meet someone we know in a library who wants a Bible at the same time as we do.
If you want to get the librarians even more confused go in and ask if they have a copy of Isaiah, or any other book of the BIble
Alternatively, you could also try donating a Bible to the library. Or even just Isaiah.
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