Evangelical Christian Publishers Association

Back before the collapse of the atheistic Soviet Union, my friend John Van Diest represented the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association at the Moscow Book Fair. The authorities had granted them reluctant permission to hand out a limited number of Russian language New Testaments, and long lines of people waited in line to receive a copy. When the ssupplies were exhausted, one desperately disappointed man asked if he might have one of the empty boxes that had once held those Testaments.

“But there’s nothing in there!” John protested. “The Bibles are all gone!” With tears glistening in his eyes, the man replied, “Then I at least want the box.” The Bible was so precious to this man that he treasured the cardboard box that held the Scriptures. (Charles Swindoll, Moses, pg. 274).