The magazine of the Scottish Bible SocietyThe magazine of theThe magazine of theThe magazine of theThe magazine of theThe magazine of the Scottish Bible Society Scottish Bible Society

AUTUMN 2011 AUTUMN 2011

King James Authorised Version – 400th Anniversary Edition £14.99

This new edition celebrates one of the world’s bestselling texts with a modern, clear presentation and lots of additional and informative material, which will help you engage with this classic text. Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales.

The Brief £0.99

For 400 years the King James Version of the Bible has been an inherent part of our culture, the language familiar to us but much of the meaning forgotten. Designed to be read in an hour but covering centuries of history, The Brief offers a reintroduction to God and the story of His relationship with humanity.

KJB The Book that Changed the World: The amazing tale of the birth of the King James Bible£13

Acclaimed actor John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones) leads us back into a darker time to discover this fascinating tale of saints and sinners, power and passion, as the greatest translation of Holy Scripture emerges into a world and culture that would never be quite the same again. This DVD is produced and directed by Norman Stone. Running time 90 minutes.

In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, take a look at some of these items available to purchase online.

www.scottishbiblesociety.org/shop

Famous Phrases from the Bible £3.99

The King James Bible is described by Melvyn Bragg as, “the book which has most deeply branded English literature, its prose, its poetry and its songs”. Find out where in the Bible some famous phrases in the English language originated from and how the phrases were intended to be used.

Walking with Wisdom £0.75

A month-long look at the biblical book of Proverbs. Written circa 1000BC this little book draws on the wisdom of the ancients to equip us for a 21st-century lifestyle.

The People’s Bible Certifi cates

After writing your verses and making your mark in history, purchase a certifi cate to celebrate your participation in this event.

Available to buy for £4.00 from The People’s Bible website www.thepeoplesbible.org. Find your verse on the website and click on the ‘Buy Now’ button.

All of the items above are available to buy from

the Scottish Bible Society online shop

www.scottishbiblesociety.org/shop.

Please note delivery charges apply.

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It has been a long time since the Bible has been such an easy and popular topic of conversation in our country. The celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible throughout 2011 have been many and varied and people across Scotland and the whole UK have been talking about the Church’s key text.

In this edition of Alive & Active we have tried to paint a picture of what has been happening, for your encouragement. Events and initiatives as diverse as Biblefresh, an art exhibition and The People’s Bible, have all pointed our nation to the book that is not just an important historical document, but also points people to Jesus today. The stories from Jamaica help build our confi dence in how God transforms lives today.

Welcome

I wonder what your experience has been of taking part in this big conversation about the Bible? I hope you have been encouraged and perhaps stimulated to want to know the Bible better. Our prayer throughout this year, and particularly during The People’s Bible project, has been that God would use his Word in people’s lives to draw us all closer to him, that the Bible would indeed be written by hand and taken to heart.

As we look ahead to 2012 why don’t we resolve to keep talking about the Bible, not just in church, but in all the different contexts we fi nd ourselves in. Let’s keep this great conversation going - because God still speaks today.

Elaine DuncanChief Executive

7 Hampton TerraceEdinburgh EH12 5XU

Tel: 0131 337 9701Fax: 0131 337 0641

www.scottishbiblesociety.org

email: info@scottishbiblesociety.org

Scottish Charity No: SC010767Published in April and OctoberChief Executive: Elaine M DuncanCirculation: 45,500

The Scottish Bible Society – a company limited by guarantee

registered in Scotland no. 238687 – registered offi ce as above.

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The magazine of the Scottish Bible Society

Contents4 Renaissance and relevance Bible translation and relevance today

6 Shining lights David Mach art exhibition and

Biblefresh in action

10 The Bible is ACE A course to improve English literacy

12 On the road Catching up with The People’s Bible

14 Making a difference Project update from Jamaica

When [God] fi nished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the fi nger of God.

Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you.

Exodus 31: 18 (The Message)

2 Corinthians 3: 2 (The Message)

The views expressed in the features and update articles are not necessarily those of the Society. Reprinting in whole or in part is forbidden, except by permission.

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In the period before the Reformation, many historians and theologians generally agree the church was in need of change. That change began with what is called the Renaissance and as part of this, the ‘Humanist’ scholarly movement (not the atheistic humanism that we know today) involving leading Christians was pivotal in Bible translation.

was a determination that never again would preachers be ignorant and unable to handle the text of Scripture. Hence in all the Reformed churches there was a tremendous emphasis on the need for an educated ministry. In Scotland, this meant that, until relatively recently, those training for ministry had to complete six years at university, with Hebrew and Greek as compulsory subjects. The Reformers believed, then, that the minister ought to be a scholar and Bible student, and that they ought to be able to judge for themselves what the Word of God means, so that they can pass it on to others.

This determination to work from the Biblical and Greek originals, also meant that there was a drive towards new and improved translations of the Bible and to have the Bible in the language of the people. Until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, it was taught that the Church should use only the Latin Vulgate Bible and that only those authorised by the Church should have the right to read it. The Reformers, however, believed in what they called the ‘perspicuity’ of Scripture, meaning that any true believer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, could read the Bible and understand all

Renaissance and relevance

Refl ecting on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, the Rev Professor Andrew McGowan explains the origins of Bible translation which led to the translation and publication of the King James Bible. He highlights the principle which led to this great event, namely, the conviction that the Bible is the Word of God and should therefore be made available to all believers in languages which they can read and understand. He also addresses why translating and distributing the Bible is as important today as it was 400 years ago.

Indeed, John Calvin was a Humanist scholar before he became a Reformer. The Humanist slogan was ad fontes (back to the original sources) and they believed in returning people to the original texts in their original languages. At fi rst the texts which the Humanists studied were the great Latin and Greek classical texts but gradually they became interested in ancient Christian writings (especially the New Testament and the writings of the early church fathers) and began to study them. Many of these writers began to see that what they were reading had implications for the church and that there was great need for reform. This had considerable signifi cance for Christian theology. In particular, it had the effect of bringing to light many of the mistakes in the Latin Vulgate. Not only so, but a number of doctrines and church practices were based on these mistranslations of the original, so that careful scholarly study of the original texts led to doctrinal reform. Here we have the beginning of the modern understanding of biblical scholarship. It was the beginning too of the call for an educated ministry.

When the Reformation took place one of the driving forces

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that was necessary for life and salvation and so they wanted all Christians to be able to read the Bible in their own languages. As a result of this, the Bible began to be translated into many languages.

The translation of the Bible into English is a remarkable story, which began almost 200 years before the Reformation. John Wycliffe (c.1329-1384), an English scholar and writer, was the fi rst to translate the Bible into English, during the 1380s. The Wycliffe Bible was, of course, hand-written and so to make copies was a slow and laborious business. This was all changed by perhaps the greatest single event of the 15th century, the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg. Suddenly books could be printed and distributed in huge numbers. We should not underestimate the signifi cance of this in the providence of God.

As a result of this new invention, William Tyndale, in 1525, translated the New Testament and had it printed in English for the fi rst time. Then, in 1537, Tyndale’s New Testament was bound up together with Coverdale’s Old Testament to provide the fi rst complete printed Bible in English. All of this was illegal, of course and the Church persecuted Wycliffe,

Tyndale and others. Many were put to death. Tyndale himself was burned at the stake in 1536.

Soon there were other translations of the Bible into English. In Calvin’s Geneva, they produced the Geneva Bible, which was hugely popular. The Great Bible and the Bishops’ Bible followed. The principle that the Bible should be translated into the languages that ordinary people could read was beginning to become a reality.

This takes us to the King James Bible and the story of how this translation came about is well known to us now as we celebrate the 400th anniversary. But one major difference between 1611 and 2011 is the lack of interest in the Bible.

For several hundred years the Bible was read by a large majority within society, or if they did not read it themselves, they heard it in church. Today we have several generations of people who have never opened a Bible, never attended church and never been exposed to the Gospel. They do not believe that the Bible has any relevance for their lives. Such people might well ask why we want to continue translating and distributing the Bible in a secular society. Why do we believe it to be important?

The answer, of course, is that the Bible is the Word of God. It was written by various men over the course of a long period but the ultimate author was God himself. Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit and so we can say that the Scriptures were ‘God breathed.’ This means that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, necessary for salvation, for spiritual life and growth and to establish our lives and the life of our nation fi rmly on the foundation which God has provided in and through the Person and Work of his Son, Jesus Christ.

For that reason, translation and distribution of the Scriptures is a vital ministry today. To place the Scriptures, or a portion of the Scriptures, into the hands of as many people as possible can have untold consequences. In this year of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, let us give generously to the work of Bible translation and distribution and let us pray that the day will come before long when every single person on this planet will have access to a Bible in their own language.

The Rev Professor Andrew McGowan, Minister at Inverness East Church and Professor of Theology at the University of the Highlands & Islands

the Bible is the infallible Word of God, necessary for salvation, for spiritual life and growth

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Letting the Light shinePrecious Light showcased the work of Scottish born artist David Mach. David was born in Fife, and some years ago a friend told him how the King

James Bible had fi rst been discussed in Burntisland in 1601, and of the 400th anniversary in 2011. Having already been thinking about producing work based on Biblical themes, this was the spark that David needed to begin planning in earnest.

For my part, we fi rst talked about the idea in 2007, but it wasn’t until early 2009 that approval for the project was given by Edinburgh City Council. The

fi nal exhibition included over 70 massive collages and 6 major sculptures, and spanned fi ve gallery fl oors of the Art Centre.

From the outset, David was keen that the written word should play a large part in the exhibition, so we decided to put passages of scripture relating to

Elaine DuncanChief Executive

“It’s not every day that you fi nd large portions of the Bible on a wall in an art gallery”. My friend’s comment captured a little of what was different about the Precious Light exhibition at the City Art Centre this summer.

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the works on the walls throughout the exhibition. Despite the rather old fashioned language of the KJV, it was fascinating to watch visitors pause to read extracts from the Old and New Testaments.

David’s work is unashamedly contemporary, his collages cinematic in scale and crammed with action. The Plague of Frogs was depicted sweeping across Belfast City Hall, and Noah’s Ark was being constructed against a backdrop of Arthur’s Seat. A crucifi xion scene, Golgotha, dominated the ground fl oor, with three colossal coat hanger fi gures pinioned to tripod shaped crosses that resembled World War II tank traps.

The public response was overwhelming – comments such as ‘thought provoking, challenging, amazing’ fi lled our visitors book. As a curator, it is always satisfying to know that you have given visitors an enjoyable experience. As a Christian, my prayer was that the exhibition might have reacquainted some people with the Bible and caused them to take

a second look. And that God’s Word, so publicly displayed, would not return to Him empty, but accomplish what he desired and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

David Patterson,Curator, Fine Art , City Art Centre

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We are all enjoying sharing fresh discoveries in what we thought were familiar stories.

Our Biblefresh journey started at the launch in Glasgow last autumn which my husband, Ewan, and I thought was inspirational. We bought the book, brought it home and pursued it, started talking and praying about the possibilities which this 400th anniversary year presented. The Outreach Group picked up the baton and we made a number of proposals to the church leadership.

Two of the house groups are working through the Essential 100 and it is exciting for many people to see how the Bible stories and characters fi t into the big picture. The handbook keeps us linked in to the present as we apply the Scriptures to situations of daily life. We are all enjoying sharing fresh discoveries in what we thought were familiar stories.

About 100 people of all ages took part in a Readathon, when we read the entire New Testament over two days. It was clear that the Word is alive and active as so many of the readers told of the impact which the passages they read had made on them. I think that this year is proving to be a great opportunity to encourage us all to take a fresh look at the Bible. In a series of six Sunday evening services we have sought to READscripture, PRAYscripture, SINGscripture and ACTscripture. LIVEscripture and LOVEscripture are still to come. There can be few people in our community who are not aware that we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

Myra Cathcart attends Kinross Parish Church

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Time to take a fresh look at the Bible

David Mach

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Image © Black Stallion Photography 2011

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AUTUMN 2011 AUTUMN 2011

The Bible has long been used to help improve literacy amongst people. Did you know it’s still happening today, right here in Scotland?Through the work of The Society for English Learning through Biblical Literature (SELBL), its founder, Jenny Wong, tells us why this initiative set up in Hong Kong is having a real impact on the lives of people in the Far East and Scotland.

As we continue the 400th anniversary of King James Bible, activities promoting or commemorating the Bible in English are seen all over the UK. Doing Bible study is often seen as an activity mostly among Christians. Have you ever thought of bringing the Bible in English to a larger audience in the secular world by teaching it using TESOL (teaching English as a second language)? SELBL is one way that shows us how the Bible in English can touch the hearts of both Christians and non-Christians through a communicative, inductive teaching method.

The Society for English Learning through Biblical Literature (SELBL) was set up in 2008 to promote the study of the English Bible and the spreading of the Word of God through this educational method. SELBL has two main objectives. First,

to equip Christian teachers, trainers and missionaries with the teaching tools and methodology (e.g. lesson plans) in reaching out to learners of English. Secondly, to induce interest in the Bible in the public domain. In 2009, SELBL launched the world’s fi rst free bilingual website on learning English through the Bible, where learners can search online the meanings and applications of English idioms taken from the Bible, complete with Chinese translation. In 2010, SELBL created and launched the ACE course where students learn aspects of Western Arts (as in paintings), Culture (as in songs, movies) and English expressions through the Bible.

The course comprises of 10 lessons and each lesson centres around a Bible passage rich with idiomatic expressions or literary devices. For example, the Sermon on the Mount is selected as it contains a wealth of idioms such as “go the extra mile”, “an eye for an eye”, “turn the other cheek”, “take the shirt off my back”. For more advanced learners, SELBL will teach them how to appreciate the Bible as a form of literature. Certain passages in the Old Testament such as the book of Job, which are seldom taught to non-English speaking Christians, are introduced in the ACE course for its poetic language and beauty.

Learning English using the Bible is

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The idea of the ACE course stemmed from a set of lesson plans written by missionaries in China and Hong Kong who brought students to Christ by incorporating TESOL methodology in teaching the Bible. In 2010, this set of lesson plans came to Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church, Glasgow and was repackaged to a 10-lesson ACE course, attracting international students from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan and countries where English language profi ciency is highly valued. Activities range from vocabulary building, reading comprehension exercises and pronunciation practices to appreciation of paintings and

listening to songs to make the Bible a lively and engaging book. Now in its fourth run at Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church, not only have we seen ACE courses bringing students to Christ, but also increasing interest in the Bible among Christians. Here’s the course feedback :

• 87.5% of students are more interested in the Bible;

• 81% of students are more interested in English;

• 94% of students are more interested in Christianity;

• 75% of students agreed that they understand the Bible in English, which is not in their mother-tongue.

Learning English using the Bible is

ACE

Jenny Wong is a PhD

candidate in literature and

theology at the University

of Glasgow. She graduated

from the Divinity School

of Chung Chi College at

Chinese University of

Hong Kong with an MA in

Christian Studies in 2009.

She teaches translation

at several universities in

Hong Kong and China.

She is the founder of

SELBL Ltd., a charitable

organisation in Hong Kong

to promote the study of

the English Bible.

For more information

about SELBL, visit their

website: www.selbl.org.

The reasons for its popularity in the UK, especially among international students, are multifold. Students coming from non-native English-speaking countries are aware of the need to brush up their English. Students coming from a non-Christian tradition experience a cultural gap where Christianity is not part of their culture, thus they are interested in coming to church to learn English as well as the Western culture.

This is how the ACE course and English teaching serve as a bridge between the Church and the secular world, from teaching people the language, to transforming their lives through the Word of God. Its starting point is cultural, but its end point is the cross.

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Q: What does your job as tour manager involve?

Adrian: We’re responsible for getting to each venue and setting up the tent and equipment so people can come and write their verses.

Russell: Along with the volunteers who we supervise, we explain to members of the general public what the project is about and show them how they write their verses.

Adrian: At the end of each day, we pack up the display, load it into the van and head off to our next destination following Esther’s instructions (we’ve named the Sat Nav ‘Esther’).

Q: What are some of the questions people ask you?

Russell: Some of the common questions I get asked are, “What is it and why are you doing this?” or “Do I have to be a Christian to take part?” and “What will be done with the verses at the end of the project?”

Q: Tell me about some of the highlights of the project?

Russell: A guy called Neil came to write his verses in Aberdeen and after he wrote them, he told me it was the most signifi cant thing he had done in his life for years. He found it really meaningful to him and he was ready to take the next steps and read more of the Bible. He took away a copy of The Brief with him.

Adrian: I was really humbled at one venue when a guy came up to me after writing his verses and asked me to pray with him. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to pray with someone for the fi rst time.

Q: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

Russell: Being away from home is quite challenging. I feel I’m missing out on things, social events with friends, what’s happening at my church. The days are long and tiring. But when I get to meet members of the public who aren’t Christians and haven’t read the Bible, it’s exciting to see them write out their verses for the fi rst time.

Q: If people wanted to pray for you, what should they ask God for to help with The People’s Bible project?

Adrian: Give thanks for all our volunteers. We couldn’t do it without them. They help members of the public write their verses, they appreciate the value of the project and they have a good time themselves – at one venue some of them didn’t want to leave!

Russell: That when non-Christians go home and look at their verses on the website, they’ll look them up in a dusty old Bible sitting on their shelf somewhere and actually read it for themselves.

Adrian: I hope that the project reaches out to people and reminds them that the Bible is not a boring old book that is irrelevant but instead it’s very much alive, powerful and speaks to them today.

A Tour Manager’s Tale

Meet Adrian and Russell, two of the people who keep The People’s Bible project alive and active.

Covering thousands of miles around Scotland from Dumfries to Orkney, from St. Andrews to Stornoway, we caught up with our tour managers to fi nd out more about what they do and the experiences they’ve had on the project.

Adrian and Russell were interviewed by Lawrence Sum.

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Children in East Calder took part in a painting competition where they were asked to paint a famous Bible story. Entries included pictures of: Noah’s Ark, Joseph and his coat of many colours, the First

Christmas, Jesus on the cross, Jesus rising from the tomb. Scottish artist Mark Holden also

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Making the old look young

dropped by to help the children. Sarah Finegan, Kirknewton and East Calder Church of Scotland Youth Worker, who organised the event, said, “We had a great day at our People’s Bible art room. We had 167 children enter the competition and there were some beautiful paintings from the kids. The children who attended the art room were able to get some painting tips and learn how to mix colours from Mark Holden, an artist from Fife. The paintings showed some real understanding of the Bible stories that they were representing. We invited the families of all the winners and runners up to a special prize giving during Sunday worship. The winners in each age

group each received £75 or art vouchers for their school/ class to buy new art materials with.”

In Bathgate, our People’s Bible venue was shared with Bibleworld Mobile – the 45ft, 14 ton mobile interactive classroom that is described as a ‘Tardis-like’ trailer which opens up into 6 activity zones using computers, music, video and other interactive ways to help children engage with the Bible.

Emma Galloway, project manager for The People’s Bible in Scotland, said, “It’s the fi rst time I’ve seen The People’s Bible tent dwarfed by something next to it!” Pupils from Boghall Primary School wrote their verses for The People’s Bible after their visit to Bibleworld Mobile.

Across the country, many celebrations have been taking place for

the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. We take a look

at how the younger generation have made their mark in history.

AUTUMN 2011

Last year, the Scottish Bible Society supported the Bible Society of the West Indies to work more closely with children who are in need or at risk, by sending chaplains into schools in particularly troubled areas of Jamaica (identifi ed by the Ministry of Education and the police). The General Secretary for the Bible Society of the West Indies, Courtney Stewart, gives us an update on their progress.

To date we have had contact with four schools: Edith Dalton James High, Jamaica College, Pembroke Hall High & Richmond Park Preparatory, all in Kingston. A fi fth, Marcus Garvey High is scheduled to join the programme shortly.

One of the highlights of the programme has been a mission conducted at the Jamaica College school where approximately 40 boys made commitments to the Lord during this one week evangelistic programme. Offi cers of the Mona Heights Chapel, with whom we partnered have been following-up on those students.

Another highlight was the impact that the very concept of this project has had on one of the members of staff here at Bible House. The organisation’s accountant, Mrs. Sherine Johnson-Higgins, a young mother herself, felt that the Lord was moving her to volunteer some of her time to get involved with some of these ‘troubled/trouble-making’ children. Hence, she made contact with two schools: Edith Dalton James and Pembroke Hall – students of these two have had an acrimonious relationship with each other. The schools welcomed Sherine into their space. They arranged

summer activities targeting some of the more

rebellious students and

PROJECT

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Making a difference in troubled communities

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what started out as an activity to attract the older children is now run for the entire school community

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invited Sherine to talk about the work she was doing with the students. One of the school principals prepared a list of almost 20 students and asked Sherine if she would be willing to work with those students over the summer. Somewhat overwhelmed at this large number she agreed to work with a smaller number but since space to accommodate them was a challenge, and as she wanted to take them out of their immediate (sometimes inner-city) communities she opted to meet with them at Bible House – much to my own surprise!

Transportation was sent to collect the students and about seven youngsters, all teenagers around the age of 15, sat in the board room of Bible House and shared with each other and with Sherine. They shared frankly with one another and quite movingly of their backgrounds with abusive parents, sexual encounters from as early as 13, fi ghts in which they have been involved and how ‘giving trouble at school’ helps them to relieve the tension and frustration they live with each day. One young girl indicated that she knows that she causes trouble at school but she cannot help it. She said that causing trouble gets her a lot of attention and she fi nds an outlet, a release for all of her frustration; which if she does not get rid of makes her feel as if she is going to go mad.

The progress Sherine has made is evident. One parent, the mother of a teenage boy, is so thankful for the Bible Society’s intervention that she actually brings her son to Bible House for the meetings and thanked

the Bible Society for their work helping with her son who has become rebellious and sometimes uncontrollable at home.

At another school, Richmond Park Prep, the teacher of the kindergarten class initiated the programme among the children there as several of them had indicated signs that they were being infl uenced by negative impulses from the communities (and homes in which they live). So what started out as an activity to attract the older children is now run for the entire school community, over 140 children, including most of the teachers as well. The programme has been so successful that the school’s administration changed the timing of classes to allow the chaplaincy to see as many children and teachers as they can within school hours.

Finally, I want to tell you about a conversation I had with an experienced teacher in remedial education, who is a committed Christian, on a subject totally unrelated to the chaplaincy programme – I just mentioned it in a casual and somewhat fl eeting way. Later, the teacher contacted me and shared with me that the Lord has been prompting him to get involved in this project at one of the perhaps most notorious schools in the country. The Marcus Garvey High School has had a diffi cult time with unruly students and on at least one occasion the police have had to use tear gas to break up a demonstration at the school and several police service vehicles were damaged as the students

threw stones and other missiles at them. This brother has now expressed an interest in initiating the programme at that school and contact with the principal revealed that the school is quite willing to run this programme. This is a matter that requires a lot of tact, wisdom and spiritual covering for all involved as it is an extremely diffi cult situation. However, our brother is quite committed to this and we plan to start the programme as soon as possible. Much prayer is needed for this.

Thank you for your support and if I can ask you to please pray:

• as we proceed with this project that the lives of the young people who we minister to will be impacted positively by our chaplains;

• that the resources will be available to assist with the needs of these children as they prepare to return to school;

• that people with the necessary skills and experience will be drawn to come alongside us as we attempt to touch the lives of these young people and also to have an impact on their immediate communities including their parents or guardians.

AUTUMN 2011

Bible Meditation

Also read Exodus 33: 11 & John 8: 1-11

Take some time to read and meditate on these passages.

These questions may help you as you explore the passages:

• Writing letters and speaking face to face are about relationship and intimacy.

To what extent do we know and experience this kind of intimacy with God?

• In what ways does the writing of the fi nger of God help us to know him better?

What do you think Jesus wrote on the ground?

• The law condemned everyone that was present, not just the woman.

How is it that we can be free from condemnation?

• According to Paul, our lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at us.

What is written on our hearts that people are reading?

• If you have written your verses for The People’s Bible, what impact has this had on your life? Have you taken it to heart?

When [God] fi nished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the fi nger of God.

Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you.

Exodus 31: 18 (The Message)

2 Corinthians 3: 2 (The Message)