FROM THE VICARAGE STUDY

My dear People,

The other evening some of us listened to a talk about the "Feed the Minds" campaign. As you may know, this is a countrywide campaign. It is to rouse, interest in and raise money for the efforts of governments and missionary societies to provide good reading-matter for the millions in Africa and India who have just learned to read. It should be self-evident that the achievement or not of this aim will have far-reaching effects on the history of the world.

Our speaker illustrated from his own experience in South India. He told us among other things of one Bible Society team who sold their whole consignment of 3,000 bibles in two hours. Any English bookseller who, sold 3,000 books in two days would think he had broken all records. This incident, though, was typical and also indicative of the tremendous thirst for reading-matter on the part of these newly literate people, whether in Africa or India. Even allowing for the enthusiasm resulting from a newly-acquired skill, it is all rather in contrast with our own attitudes in this country. In our own village, for example, only a tiny proportion use the branch of the County Library; our Lent bookstall in church sells an average of only 10 books each season; most households have a copy of the Bible, mainly for reference purposes and thanks in part perhaps to Mary Gibbon, but very few, I suspect, are daily readers of it.

Have many of us lost the habit of reading? If so, is it due to, television or to the sheer pace of life, causing either exhaustion or lack of time? Are we just a little blase about our ability to read? Has familiarity bred contempt? I sincerely hope not. It is basically one of God's gifts. It is also still the surest and quickest way of acquiring knowledge, and of learning about other people. More so than TV a good book makes one think. Moreover, through reading often comes relaxation, a needed antidote to the stresses and pace of life in the 1960's. I submit that all this is worth serious thought. What about a new effort to read a good biography? Or, even better, why not try slowly reading a few verses of the New Testament at the beginning or end of every day? Nothing is more likely to bring you new purpose and peace of mind.

Your sincere friend and Vicar,

JOHN GREEN.