Controversial best seller in the news again today
OKLAHOMA CITY (Christian Examiner) -- Today is the International Day of the Bible, a day to celebrate the Bible in public or online with the hashtag #BibleCelebration, according to Richard Glickstein, president of the International Bible Society.
Glickstein said in an interview published on Biblegateway.com that the Bible is still a bestseller and continues to be "widely revered by people around the world."
Millions have downloaded the Bible Gateway App, he says, to keep Scripture with them on their smartphones and tablets, and today, Nov. 24, will share favorite verses throughout the day. Supporters were encouraged to use lunchtime for reading the Bible together in groups.
At noon, for each time zone, people gathered in small and large groups to read the verses aloud without commentary and use the hashtag #BibleCelebration for posting comments, videos, and photos, he said.
Even flash mobs showed up.
Oklahoma City was chosen as the National Bible City for 2014 because Hobby Lobby is headquartered there, and owner Steve Green is building a Museum of the Bible that is slated to open In Wahington, D.C. in 2017.
Public Bible reading is scriptural, Glickstein said in the article, citing Nehemiah 8:1-12 and 1 Timothy 4:13.
"This is a very simple act of faithfulness and honor to God about His Word," he observed. "God's Word is meant to encourage us and bring us personal hope, but it is also meant to bring us together to realize that this is a such a great gift and truth that He can change our world through it."
According to a report by the American Bible Society, in 2013 Chattanooga, Tennessee, ranked No. 1, as America's most Bible-Minded City, with Providence, Rhode Island the least Bible-Minded City. The remaining nine of the top 10 list of Bible-minded cities included: Birmingham, Ala.; Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va.; Springfield, Mo; Shreveport, La.; Charlotte, N.C.; Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C./Asheville, N.C.; Little Rock, Ark.; Jackson, Miss.; and, Knoxville, Tenn.