Society engages Romani people
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| Illustrations, such as this, by a Romani artist are helping to bring to life God’s Word for Hungary’s Romani population which numbers more than half a million. Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Hungarian Bible Society (HUN03DJ-1) |
By Ottó Pecsuk, Hungarian Bible Society
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Illustrations by Romani artists are helping to bring God’s Word alive for Hungary’s Romani population, which numbers more than half a million. Rather than producing a new Romani translation, the Hungarian Bible Society decided to reach out to the Romani people through their strong artistic tradition. This approach recognises the fact that, in Romani culture and understanding, images are often more significant than words.
Following a fundraising campaign in 2001, the Bible Society was able to work with Romani artists to produce illustrations for a Portion containing the four Gospels in the new Hungarian translation. The illustrations, which show scenes including Jesus as a Romani beggar and sitting with his family around a traditional Romani campfire, are designed to allow the Romani readers to create connections in their imaginations between the world of the Bible and their everyday lives.
The Bible Society, acknowledging that the Romani population is becoming increasingly recognised as part of the Hungarian nation, feels that there is a need to find new ways of bringing God’s Word into the heart of this community. It regards the new illustrated Portion, which will be sold through bookshops and distributed free of charge through Romani missions operated by churches affiliated to the Bible Society, as “an important step in this direction,” said General Secretary the Rev Kálmán Tarr at the official presentation of the Portion at Bible House.
For Bible Society President Bishop Béla Harmati, one of the most important aspects of this project is that funding was derived solely from “the responsibility and generosity of Bible-loving people,” without the need for government assistance. Indeed, a donation of US$2,000 came from as far away as Dallas, Texas, where a group of women raise funds for Bible work around the world by baking and selling biscuits. This money was brought in person by one of the women to Bible House in Budapest while fundraising for the Portion was still under way, proof for the Bible Society that “God still works in a miraculous way.” (WR 374/30 - 2.03) [PHOTOS]