DAMASCUS,
Syria — When an elderly woman with a heavy limp arrived at the Bible
Society stand at the Damascus Bookfair, staff were already closing up for
the day. Having spent a long time searching for the Bible Society among the
other 374 publishers, she was exhausted but determined to see a copy of the
book she had heard so much about – the Bible.
“Surrounded by Scriptures for the first time, her tiredness seemed to vanish,” reported a staff member who welcomed her to the stand. “Her face was shining and, with a tremble in her voice, she told us that she wanted to see the Bible.”
Moved by her joy at seeing God’s Word, staff gave her a copy of the Bible to take with her. Delighted, she left the Bible Society stand, stopping now and again to show people her ‘precious gift’.
This woman was one of thousands of people who visited the Bible Society stand at the Damascus Bookfair, which ran from October 11-21. As well as selling more than 1,000 Scriptures to people of all nationalities, including North Africans and Iranians, the Bible Society team also answered many questions about the Gospel message.
One Syrian man said that, although he had read the Bible from cover to cover three times, he still did not understand why Jesus, “such a wonderful person”, had to die on the cross. Staff explained that Jesus died because he spoke the truth, and that Christians, as followers of Jesus, should be messengers of the truth through God’s Word.
Inspired by this answer, the man bought a Children’s Bible to share the truth with his own children, and an Arabic Life Application Bible for himself.
The Damascus Bookfair is the highlight of the year for the Bible Society, which has taken part in this annual event for the last 15 years. While many Christians visit the stand to replenish their stock of Scriptures, 95 per cent of sales are to people who have never encountered the Bible before. (WR 356/10 - 12.00) e-120 [PHOTOS]