T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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The Word "Happens" in Europe By JOHN A . PATTEN
I N A BROADCAST message to the Dutch people some time ago, the Q u e e n of the Netherlands ex pressed her gratitude that the Word, of God was “happening” in Holland— a curious but arresting phrase that de serves examination. When Her Ma jesty declared that the Word of God was “ happening” 'i n H o l l a n d she meant that the Bible was not merely being read, but read with such effect that it was making its influencé felt in men’s lives. There is all the dif ference between reading the Bible with the eyes and reading it with the heart—all the difference between turn ing to the Bible as a duty and turning to it in the agony of a great need. The Queen meant that her people had found the Bible to be an anchor of hope in the storm that had swept across their land—a source of strength and peace in the midst of overwhelm ing catastrophe. The Bible in Holland That the Queen was not mistaken in her diagnosis of the situation is borne out by independent evidence from ,many sources. Dr. Visser t’Hooft, Secretary of the World Council of Churches, paid a visit to the Bible House recently and spoke to the Com mittee on the religious situation in Europe. In the course of his address Dr. t’Hooft mentioned that he had béen in correspondence with Dr. Rut gers, Secretary of the Netherlands Bi ble Society, and his letters indicated
Inspiration from the Bible Not only the clergy but also the school teachers of Norway are making a.stand for freedom, and we may con fidently predict that Quisling, for all his vaunted power, w ill be finally un able to stand against c h u r c h and school in the struggle for the soul of Norway.' Whencé comes the strëngth to with stand the principalities and powers arrayed against the Norwegian peo ple? Bishop Berggrav, t h e honored leader of the Norwegian Church, who has himself been deposed from of fice, gives this moving testimony: “ There are not a few people who now know that their Testament is their most precious possession. Looking back on the past year we realize how the Spirit of God has made God’s Word new and fresh for us every day, in every situa tion, in every new distress. The Word has taken hold of us. God has supported, chastised, and com forted us. We h a y e found the Word when we needed it most,, and it has found and led us to God. We have shared the Word we have found with others. . . . Many who sit and suffer in involuntary solitude have Holy Scripture as „ their only reading matter, their only light . . . thanks be to God, who does not leave us in dark ness, but has given us His Holy Word in clear testimony to all consciènces.” A Widespread Demand The Word is “ happening” not only in Holland and Norway, but also in
that in the midst of their sufferings many ^people were feeling the need of the Bible. “People can now be reached with the Bible who could not be touched before.” , Dr.. t’Hooft referred to a spiritual' movement in Amsterdam which had been so fruitful that it presented a problem—-where to find the leaders to carry it on. Thousands of people wanted to come into B i b l e study groups, but leaders were lacking; and sq it was decided to have: courses of study for group leaders, and these trained leaders would be ready to take over th$ work later on. It is apparent that there is a cer tain religious awakening in Holland, and that people are turning with ea gerness to the study of the Bible. Norway’s Testimony No one can follow without sympathy the struggle going on in Norway be tween the church and that Quisling government which derives its author ity from Berlin. Every conceivable effort' has been made to bring' the church into subjection to the secular power, but in vain. The Norwegian Church, led by its bishops, has flatly refused to render to Caesar the things that are God’s. Spiritual liberty is more precious than worldly advan tage, and the threat to deprive bishops and clergy of their office moved them not at all. When the threat:was car ried ou t. and certain bishops were superseded by Quisling nominees, both' bishops and clergymen ignored the action of the Government and continued to carry on their spiritual work.
[T h is article is a part of the record of the ■ work of the British and Foreign Bible Society , contained in “ The Bible in the World .” — E D IT O R ].
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