The Evangelical Alliance UK is sending President Barack Obama a new Bible after reports that one was mysteriously absent from his second swearing in.
22 January 2009
The Evangelical Alliance UK is sending President Barack Obama a new Bible after reports that one was mysteriously absent from his second swearing in.
Dr Krish Kandiah, Director of Churches in Mission for the Evangelical Alliance, will post a copy of an edition of the Bible that highlights issues of poverty and justiceto the new President to make sure he has one on hand for any future need.
“President Obama’s commitment to the scripture was obvious during his inaugural address, when he quoted Paul’s letter to the Corinthians - so when we heard he didn’t swear on a Bible the second time, we could only assume it was because he couldn’t find one,” said Dr Kandiah.
“We are sending him a copy of the Bible in case he is ever Biblically caught short again. We are delighted that President Obama takes justice and the alleviation of poverty very seriously, so we will send him a Bible that focuses on these issues that are so close to his, and God’s, heart.”
President Obama said in his inaugural address: “We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.”
The Evangelical Alliance will send President Obama a copy of The Poverty and Justice Bible, published by Bible Society,which is the first to highlight more than 2,000 passages that speak of God’s attitude to poverty and justice. Challenging the notion that the Bible is a dusty, outdated rulebook, it shows that, on the biggest issues of our day, God got there first – and he has something to say.
Recently Prime Minister Gordon Brown was presented with The Poverty and Justice Bible at Downing Street. And in July last year, hundreds of Bishops carried The Poverty and Justice Bible as they marched across Westminster in a campaign against world poverty.
Peter Meadows, Associate Executive Director at Bible Society, said: “The Bible has a place in public life and government, which is why it was part of President Obama's inauguration. But it is more than symbolic. It's more than a good idea. The Bible is a reminder that true hope and real change has its root in Scripture.”
Media Contact:
Charis Gibson / Lucy Cooper
Evangelical Alliance
020 7207 2117 / 2107
c.gibson@eauk.org / l.cooper@eauk.org
Notes to editors:
The Evangelical Alliance, formed in 1846, is the largest body serving evangelical Christians in the UK, and has a membership including denominations, churches, organisations and individuals. The mission of the Evangelical Alliance is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. According to a Tearfund survey (Churchgoing in the UK, 2007), there are approximately 2 million evangelical Christians in the UK. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.
The British and Foreign Bible Society (known as ‘Bible Society’) is a Christian charity that exists to make the Bible heard throughout the world. The majority of its work is overseas, making the Bible available in a language people can understand and at a price they can afford. Here in England and Wales, the Society works to build bridges between the Bible and people’s everyday lives, as well as to rebuild confidence in its enduring message. For more on the Poverty and Justice Bible, go to www.povertyandjusticebible.org
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