p. 4 | Breaking Down Barriers by W. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 19, 1906

Breaking Down Barriers

By W. A. S.

I RAN in to the Bible house, in London, the headquarters of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Its sign is the Bible carved in stone. But this quiet-looking gray-stone building is the center of a grand work in the world.

It is particularly pleasing just now to note how its output is getting into lands closed against ordinary missionary work. Such Moslem countries as Morocco and all north Africa, and Arabia, for instance, are most difficult of access by the evangelist, but the Bible colporteurs are threading their way into these hotbeds of fanaticism, and are surely preparing the way for the advent message in a little from now. The following paragraph from one of their reports illustrates the experience in Morocco:—

At Sook-el-Arba I took up a position in the heart of the market, where I pitched my tent and displayed my books. Several were sold, including two copies of St. Luke in Magrebi. Soon the purchaser of these two books returned, saying angrily, “Give back my money; this is the Nazarene’s book, and we must not read it.” Before returning the price I took the opportunity of explaining the sacred character of the Gospel, but I had not finished speaking when his brother, a very passionate man, seized the books and tore them to pieces, shouting, “Nazarene! Infidel! give back the money!” In face of the torn Gospels and the angry crowd, I lifted my heart to God for help. At that moment a Kaid rode up to my tent, and learning what had happened, said to the offending Moors, “Collect the torn books and be gone!” When they had left, the Kaid said to me, quietly, “Hide your books in the box, and do not sell any more, for it is dangerous.”

But these workers are continually going to and fro in these lands, and the barriers are giving way. The Society has had some interesting tokens of even friendly interest from the heir to the Persian throne, and in all Persia the Bible is being liberally circulated. An agent reports that in eastern Arabia colporteurs and missionaries have sold over four thousand copies of the Scriptures in whole or in part, and in seventeen languages.

It is truly encouraging to see the way so rapidly being prepared in these Moslem countries. The leaven of Bible truth must work, and now that our own cause is just beginning to touch the edge of the Mohammedan lands, we may well thank God that he has agencies at work to break down barriers and turn the attention of the honest-hearted to the word of light.

Again, there is Nepal, just north of India, lying along the south slope of the Himalayas. It is closed to the missionary evangelist. But native colporteurs are doing the work that will surely break down the barriers from within. The Bible Society is scattering the Scriptures there. A colporteur gives the following account of a few weeks’ trip, which will illustrate how the Lord is sending the fishers of men into the most out-of-the-way corners:—

It is the custom in Nepal, as in many other places, to sprinkle water for the purpose of purification, over the floor, after any one who is not a Hindu has entered; but the subedar [officer of soldiers] would not allow this to be done in our case, as he said he regarded us as men of God. And when the people who gathered around asked us why we had ceased to worship idols, the subedar boldly stood up and spoke in our defense, and finally bought a number of Gospels from us, to distribute among his friends. He also gave us food, such as rice, dried fish, etc., and before leaving we prayed with him, asking God to save his soul.

On the fourth day, after prayer we started out from Shilgari on our homeward journey, and all along the route at each halting place we talked with the people about Jesus. Night overtook us again while we were passing through the dense forest, and we had no shelter except the trees. The rain began to pour down, so we opened our umbrellas, and, crouching beneath the shelter of a wild raspberry bush, we spent the night in prayer—for we could not sleep—pleading for the salvation of Nepal. In spite of the bodily discomfort we were experiencing, our hearts were full of joy, for we felt that Christ’s presence was with us in the lonely forest, and we were not afraid. Though we had taken no food since the early morning, nor was any obtainable, and we were very wet and very hungry, yet we were happy.

When day broke, we again started off, and toward evening emerged from the forest. We finally reached Jhulaghat, where we crossed again over into British territory.

The tour occupied three weeks, during which time we had traveled a hundred miles inland, sold a number of Naipali and Hindi Gospels, distributed many Scripture text cards, and preached the gospel and talked to the people about salvation in some fifty Nepalese villages, where most of them had never before heard of the name of Jesus Christ.

So up and down the world the light is being sown, and the harvest hastened on. The Lord has made bare his arm, and all the nations are to see of his salvation. This Bible Society movement is truly one of the mighty creations of God’s providence for these last days.

W. A. S.