Forget Not the Stranger
By W. C. WHITE
IN our determined efforts to carry the glorious message of the soon coming of our Saviour, to every city, town, village, and hamlet in our land, we must remember that there are many thousands of homes in which the English language is not the native tongue, and where reading-matter in some other language would be more welcome. Imagine yourself a sojourner in France, Germany, Scandinavia, or Italy. After several years’ residence, you might be able to converse quite freely, and read the newspapers of the land, and yet how dear to you would be fresh reading-matter in your mother tongue. If some one were to bring you an English paper or book, how much more welcome it would be than the same reading-matter in any other language. There are thousands whom we meet from time to time, who have come to America from foreign lands. These may have learned the English language, and their speech may hardly remind us that they are foreigners, yet they would highly appreciate our thoughtfulness in providing them an opportunity to study present truth in their own language. Have we not to a great degree forgotten that these strangers are among us, that in many cases their settling among us is in the direct providence of God, in order that they may receive the last gospel message, and send it to their friends in the countries from which they came? Have we not forgotten that their wants in the matter of books, tracts, and papers are not identical with our own? The Lord says to us, “If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.” Lev. 19: 33, 34. And he says again, “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” Matt. 7: 12. Shall we not endeavor to follow the golden rule? Shall we not place the grand and glorious message of the gospel before our neighbors in the most attractive form? Shall we not love them as ourselves? Shall we not make a special effort in behalf of those who can not yet read our English literature, and also in behalf of those with whom we can not converse? We have a wealth of literature in the foreign languages, which our American brethren can use to the saving of many souls. There are periodicals in the German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish, and many other languages. And there are tracts and books in more than twenty different languages. A special effort is being made by our brethren at College View to bring out special numbers of the German, Swedish, and Danish papers for use in the fall campaign. Some of these are kept in the State tract depositories, but not all. Letters of inquiry addressed to our publishing houses in Washington, D. C.; Nashville, Tenn.; Mountain View, Cal.; College View, Neb.; Christiania, Norway; or Hamburg, Germany, will bring quick response, with full information. Recently I have met Bible workers and canvassers who said, “In my work I meet Italians, and some ask for literature in their own language. Why do we not have papers and tracts in the Italian language?” When I told them13that we have a good list of Italian tracts and pamphlets, they were astonished. So it is with the Spanish language, and with many other languages. The precious gospel message has been printed in many languages. Will you use it? Will you become acquainted with your foreign neighbors, learn what language they read best, and then place the message before them in that language? “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” Dan. 12: 3.