The Most Meaningful Things

O Little Town of Bethlehem is one of the best known and beloved of all Christmas carols. It depicts Christ’s birth occurring on a quiet peaceful night, going almost unnoticed. The Savior of the world arrives and only a few shepherds are aware that the Holy Child has been born!

Oftentimes the most important, most meaningful things, happen quietly, almost in the background. The staff at your local hospital, firefighters at the station down the street, teachers, social workers, pastors, volunteers at the food bank—all contributing to safety, health and quality of life on a daily basis. 

Bible translation is somewhat like that. Many people are uninformed about the need to translate Scripture, or don’t consider it a priority. They are not aware of the dedicated missionaries and translation teams who work diligently and faithfully to bring God’s Word to those who do not have it in their own languages. They don’t realize how powerful the translated Bible is.

It won’t be long before we’ll actually be singing O Little Town of Bethlehem. Like it or not, the holiday season is almost upon us. Christmas decorations have been available in stores since long before Halloween and now we need to start planning our Thanksgiving feast. It’s the season for giving, for sharing, for embracing family and friends.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, marking the beginning of the holiday shopping season, are also looming. Back in 2012 a group of organizations saw a need to celebrate the generosity of giving in the face of such massive spending. The result was the first Giving Tuesday, an opportunity for people around the world to support causes they believe in.

We’re excited to be participating in Giving Tuesday this December 3. Lutheran Bible Translators’ social media team has been working hard to make Giving Tuesday an interactive, inspirational, and fun experience. If you’re not familiar with Bible translation—and the impact God’s Word has when people receive Scripture in their own languages—we encourage you to explore our website to discover a variety of information about missionaries, staff, language programs and more. Find us on Facebook for the latest updates on Giving Tuesday and learn how those who pray and those who offer financial gifts play a quiet but essential role in making God’s mission through Lutheran Bible Translators possible.

Christ’s birth may have been humble and unpretentious, but He changed—is still changing—the world. The most important, most meaningful things, often happen quietly, but what a difference they can make!