The Circuit Overseer's Visit ends

albino Bluebells, Hyacinthoides non-scripta

I haven't been able to walk in the bluebell woods this year, but Captain Butterfly has bought them home to me in photographs.

Today was made lovely  - in spite of severe knee pain - as it was the last day of the Circuit Overseer's visit - and he gave us a wonderful talk and presentation.  Captain B the Superhero drove me up to the Hall, and Frances helped me in. We had a presentation about the work the Society has been doing in the translation field.

Wonderful.

In his talk after our shortened Watchtower study, the C.O. brought out a point from the account of Pentecost in the Book of Acts that he said he had  never picked up on before.  And neither had I.

When holy spirit was poured out on those present and they began to speak in different tongues, Acts records this:   "As it was, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, reverent men, from every nation of those under heaven.  So, when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.  Indeed, they were astonished and began to wonder and say: “See here, all these who are speaking are Gal‧i‧le′ans, are they not?  And yet how is it we are hearing, each one of us, his own language in which we were born?"- Acts 2:5-8 

The C.O. pointed out that the common language at the time was Greek - and that very likely all, or most, of those present, could speak and understand Greek.   But Acts clearly records that each one got a witness about the Kingdom of God in their own language, the language in which they were born.

Our birth language has an emotional charge like no other - and Jehovah wants to reach our hearts as well as our minds.

Anyway, in harmony with the Christian Greek Scriptures, the Watchtower Society has teams of volunteers translating all the time.  We saw experiences from some of the parts of the world they are reaching.  These languages are not always written down - so there is no dictionary to consult; and in some languages there is no written literature apart from what The Watchtower Society publishes.

You could see how much it meant to people to have a copy of the Bible in their own language.

And the C.O. told us that in some countries the authorities have waived the import tax on our publications, as they appreciate what we are trying to do, and know that we are teaching people to read and write, where that is necessary.

Just as Jehovah's spirit empowered Jesus's followers to speak in different languages at Pentecost so that all present got a witness, his spirit is now moving and organising a witness about the incoming Kingdom of God is being given, as never before - to the ends of the earth.