Biblical Booklets Offer Solace To The Troubled (NAPSA)—Aproject that has offered spiritual comfort to nearly five million people is reaching out to touch even more. A non-profit organization committed to the translation, publication and distribution of the Bible has made a series of booklets available to the public. Each booklet—given free-ofcharge to those who ask for them—provides excerpts from the Bible, along with commentary dealing with biblical themes, such as God’s shelter and strength in times of trouble; God’s support of the brokenhearted; prayers for peace; security concerns; and coping with angerandtrust. The booklets were distributed as part of a concerted American Bible Society campaign to meet the need for Scriptural solace felt by many Americans after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The first of the series, God is Our Shelter and Strength, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. This booklet proved a popular item for World Trade Center recovery workers. In its introduction, the booklet says that “acts of political terrorism, like natural disaster, often strike without warning. The shock, fear and sense of outrage can be overwhelming, leaving you feeling completely helpless and abandoned.” The booklet titled The Lord is Near to the Brokenhearted offers discussion questions so that the reader is encouraged in a prayerful dialogue with the biblical God. After a reading from the Bookof Job, which describes the despair felt by a good man wholostall his children and property, the authors Booklets that offer the strength and support of the Scriptures are available for the asking. of the booklet encourage discussion on various questions, including: “Do Job’s feelings, in any way, match my own? Do I want to complain to God? Is there anyone who would be willing to listen to me express my feelings?” Scripture passages in all the booklets are in the easy-to-read Contemporary English Version or, in the Spanish translations, the Version Popular. Print copies of these publications can be ordered by calling 1800-32-BIBLE; by writing to the American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, NY, NY 11023, or by visiting the American Bible Society Web site at www.americanbible.org. Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the American Bible society is a non-profit, interdenominational organization that works to transform lives, particularly among the young, by promoting personal engagement with the Holy Scriptures. Our mission is to provide the Scriptures to every person in a language and format each can readily understand and afford.
