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Show Bible Enjoys Postwar PES Revival of Interest World Is Reawakening to Spiritual Values; mf" 1( Scriptures Source of Inspiration For Millions of Disconsolate. 0 at- By BAUK1IAGE A'eui Anal) tt and Commentator. WSV Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. Last week I tat down to write a piece about a man who wrote a book about the Bible. I thought the book and its creator were worth more than casual comment because of the nature of both creation and creator. Both are unique. But before I had made more than a dozen inquiries in search of colateral material for my article I discovered that the production produc-tion of the book was news in another sense. I found it to be more than another contribution to modern literature lit-erature and scholarship. I found it to be part of a modern phenomenon a phase of what appears to be the greatest revival of interest In the Bible which the world has ever seen. George Stlmson, who wrote "A Book About the Bible," Is one of Washington's newsmen whose name is known to many readers of his dispatches dis-patches and his column, especially in the Middle West and South. He Is known to a smaller circle for the profundity of his knowledge on many subjects, especially the Bible. I think it more than coincidence that he completed the work to which he has given a lifetime of study and devotion devo-tion this year. He may have guessed that this period In the world's history his-tory which has witnessed the greatest great-est brutBlizatlon of humankind would naturally be followed by a strong reaction toward things of the spirit. In any case the arrival of this "Book About the Bible" could not be more timely. Lloyd Douglas, author of that gripping work, "The Robe." informed me last month that the American Bible Society has received re-ceived the largest order for scriptures scrip-tures In its 129 years of history, and that the distribution of Bibles. New Testaments and Bible portions by this non-profit organization has reached the highest level since it was founded In 1816. This biggest single order was for S50.000 Protestant scriptures (including (includ-ing military missals and prayer books) for the European theater of Derations and In addition 500 German Ger-man Bibles, 120,000 testaments and 93,000 "portions" for use with German Ger-man war prisoners and interned civilians. ci-vilians. Right here In the nation's capital, Dr. Darby, District of Columbia secretary sec-retary of the same society, tells me that this was the busiest year In the chapter's history, War'$ Brutalitiet Bring Reaction So much for the situation to date. Why is It predicted that this great revival of interest in the holy writ In this country Is only the beginning of a movement of world-wide magnitude. magni-tude. First, there is the obvious suggestion already mentioned that it Is logical to expect a reaction toward things of the spirit after these years of brutal warfare. However, there Is another answer which Is given by many thoughtful thought-ful people They say this: The defeat de-feat of nazi-fascism was the defeat of an Idea as well as a military power. pow-er. That Idea based on a purely material concept was opposed and overcome by the western nations whose philosophy of government as well as of morals and ethics is based on the Christian religion. This triumph of the Christian-democratic Christian-democratic Ideal has affected different dif-ferent people for different reasons but with the same general result. To many who yielded to the lure of nazl-fascism nazl-fascism its failure revealed its fundamental fun-damental error. Their alluring Idol showed Its fret of clay and they are turning repentlngly back to Its opposite. Christianity. iu ninny wno nave ocen dm passive pas-sive followers of the Christian teachings, teach-ings, the terrible price the world has paid in blood has been a harsh reminder re-minder of their delinquencies. They have a renewed real In their faith. To those, of course, who have suffered suf-fered or are bereft, comfort comes with the contemplation of the scrip-tures. scrip-tures. with their hopeful message. And then there is another explanation explan-ation of this desire to renew and reinforce re-inforce their communion with the word of God. If I may venture Into the realm of the metaphysical let me quote from an anonymous article in a pamphlet entitled "Let Freedom Ring." 'also a product of the American Amer-ican Bible society). The author states that Samuel Smith, author of our patriotic hymn "America," put only one major idea in his verses. "It is God that is the 'author of liberty'," this article continues. "Liberty does not have Its origin in man. God has Implanted It in man's breast. Perhaps this is the reason that, more than all others in the oppressed op-pressed lands, the churches have stood up before tyranny and rebuked it . . . perhaps this is the reason urgent requests are coming from the liberated lands for the Book of which they have been deprived. . . . Christians Chris-tians all over Europe are again studying the Bible to learn afresh its lessons. . . ." Whether for these or still other reasons of which we are unaware, we know that a tremendous renaissance renais-sance of Interest In the Hihlo U sweeping the world. j And so it is the good fortune of i the Bible lover, whether he be an l erudite scholar or a simple and devoted de-voted reader spelling out the texts as he goes along, that George Stlmson Stlm-son completed his helpful, interest- ( Ing, searching and authentic "Book About the Bible" In this particular year of our Lord. "The purpose of the author in writing writ-ing this book," says Stimson in his brief Introduction, "is to supply reliable re-liable and adequate answers to a great number of popular questions asked about the Bible." And that is what he does. Take the first one: when was Jesus born? and the last one: does "mile" occur In the Bible? Or, how old are the oldest Bible manuscripts? And that brings us to the inquiry, who is this man Stimson, anyhow? He is a mon of about fifty, born on an Iowa furrn and is still a keen lover of the soil. He worked on his college (Valparaiso, Ind.) paper and then on small town piifxTs. came to Washington to help edit the "Path-finder" "Path-finder" and was on its staff for 10 years. He is the author of four successful suc-cessful volumes of populor information, infor-mation, and still syndicates a unique and colorful column called "You'd Be Surprised." I wish I could take you into George Stimson's little office In the Notional Press building in Washington and see him toiling at his old-fashioned roll-top desk. , You will probably find him poking at his ancient typewriter with two Angers or running them through his healthy mane of brown hair while he cogitates. You might find as a caller call-er the speaker of the house of representatives, rep-resentatives, some foreign diplomat, a distracted correspondent or some poor, ambitious girl or boy seeking advice on a career. In any case you would be welcomed with a smile and the chances are you would not leave without some aid and comfort, moral or material. intrigued by Bible Through Life Of course I asked George how he happened to write "A Book About the Bible." "Because." ne said with no hesitation, "I wanted answers to those questions myself." The first Bible Stimson ever owned he got from a mall order house when he was 15. It was his second "own" book. The first was "Pilgrim's Progress." He read them both, by a kerosene lamp, stretched out on his stomach on the kitchen table. Then he began to ask questions-questions questions-questions questions of his Sunday school teacher, of the preacher, of anyone who would listen. How did Paul look? What about Jesus' brothers? What become of the lost tribes of Israel? and many others i which thousands of readers of the ' Bible have asked before and since. I The answers weren't so stolsfactory ' to the young Inquisitor and so he kept on asking. And reoding, and clipping and searching and re-scorching. re-scorching. Nor did he cease to examine the source of his curiosity He has read the Bible from cover to cover at least 10 times. He has read it countless count-less times if you added up his browsings. brows-ings. He has read it twice aloud to himself. And now. he gives the world the answers to the questions he himself begun asking back there In the little country church, giving them to the world simply, authoritatively and completely, at a moment when the nook which Is more widely read than any other ever printed. Is being be-ing read more widely than ever, by a yearning, asking world. |