ABS launches Project Constant Hope for ‘dispirited and wounded of heart’

NEW YORK, USA — The American Bible Society (ABS) has initiated a new ministry designed to bring “healing and comfort to those who are dispirited and wounded of heart” in the wake of the attacks mounted against the United States on September 11.

Launched shortly before Easter, the program, Project Constant Hope, includes the publication of eight booklets, in both English and Spanish, which are being provided free to people “who might be searching in these troubled times”.

Easter promise

Speaking at the beginning of the initiative, Dr Eugene Habecker, President of the ABS, said, “After September 11, the death experience of Good Friday makes us long even more deeply for the promise of Easter Sunday.” He added that the death and destruction wrought since the attacks on America gave the story of Jesus’ last days on earth an even greater impact than usual.

The eight booklets offer Scripture Portions in the Contemporary English Version. One offers words of assurance to calm fears and another is entitled How Can I Pray When I Am Angry? A third, The Lord Keeps You Safe, is designed to help children cope with fear.

The other titles are God Is Our Constant Hope, God Is our Shelter and Strength, The Lord Is Near to the Brokenhearted, Hold On: Love Is On The Way, You Don’t Have To Be Afraid and Prayers for Peace.

Build schools

On April 9, in another part of Project Constant Hope, the ABS co-sponsored a concert by the African Children’s Choir held for Pentagon employees at Washington’s Pentagon Auditorium. The children, who are Ugandan orphans, sang hymns, African folk songs and American patriotic and popular songs. The choir, which performs all over the world, raises funds to provide teachers and build schools in Uganda. Many of those in the audience at the Pentagon were employees who survived the attack on September 11.

l The ABS has provided US soldiers involved in Operation Enduring Freedom, the US military build-up mounted in response to the attacks of September 11, with 10,000 Bibles in the Good News Translation version. Col Henry A Haynes, Pentagon chaplain, said that the Bibles, distributed through the military chaplains, have been well received. “No-one rejected a Bible,” he said, and many were now reading a Bible for the first time as a result. (WR 368/29 - 6.02)