If you really thirst for more knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, I have an item that belongs on your bucket list — visiting the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.
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I had the opportunity recently to tour the magnificent complex during a trip to the nation’s capital with a group from our church. You can easily spend an entire day working your way through the interactive displays, video presentations and historical artifacts.
There’s even a “thrill ride” that sends you virtually soaring through the city to point out the biblical references inscribed on government buildings. (I don’t recommend this if you are subject to motion sickness!) The whole experience is particularly effective at walking children through the chronology of the Bible in a way that is engaging and dynamic.
The area that made the biggest impact on me was not a flashy video. It was a large wing of shelves containing Bibles. Thousands of Bibles — an exhibit of the different translations of God’s Word throughout the world.
Of course all the mainstream languages such as English, Spanish, French, German, etc., were represented. But did you know there are more than 7,000 active languages being spoken on our planet today? If you ever want to read the Bible in Sanskrit or Aleut or Navajo, this is where you can find it.
Waiting for a Bible
Yet my attention was drawn to one particular wall. A long line of shelves … but no Bibles. According to the Wycliffe organization, there are 1,662 languages, representing more than 36 million people, with no translations of the Bible in their language. Wycliffe.org goes on to say that one in five people in the world is still waiting for a Bible in their language!
I was struck by this statistic. How can we bring the gospel to the lost if we can’t even give them God’s revelation of Himself in a way they can read and understand?
Fortunately, there are several Baptist-oriented groups, such as Bibles International, currently working on new translations and gradual progress is being made. But those empty shelves tell a challenging story. We may take access to God’s Word for granted, but there are so many souls still crying out for it.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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