Pocket-sized New Testament appeals to Slovenian soldiersLJUBLJANA, Slovenia — It has taken some time for communist ideology to release its stranglehold over the Slovenian Army following the granting of the country’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. However, there is now an active chaplaincy service working with soldiers, many of whom are beginning to break away from the political and social values with which they grew up and to discover Christianity.
Recognising the desire of soldiers to learn more about Christianity, the Bible Society of Slovenia linked with the Spiritual Service to draw up a strategy for producing and distributing appropriate material. The outcome was a special New Testament with Psalms for soldiers. This edition, which was launched to an audience of Bible Society members, donors and friends at the Society’s traditional pre-Christmas meeting, is pocket-sized, making it convenient for soldiers to carry. Its special cover design using the same colours as the soldiers’ uniform has proved very effective in generating a strong sense of ownership. The Bible Society was able to supply 1,500 New Testaments with Psalms which were distributed free of charge to the soldiers by chaplains of various denominations, a reflection of the good relations among Slovenia’s churches. Three or four times more copies would have been printed if funds had allowed, according to General Secretary Anton Metelko, who hopes that the churches will respond to the “gap between availability and demand”.
Lieutenant Joze Plut, head of the Spiritual Service, reports that many soldiers are clearly reading their New Testament with Psalms regularly. “I visit many of my colleagues in their rooms in various barracks,” he says. “Often I notice their own copy of the New Testament on their tables. I am glad indeed to see that they use the book, which used to be a prohibited item little more than a decade ago, and now it has become a wanted book.” He adds that the soldiers have been particularly struck by the special cover design. In fact, in some cases soldiers have been “overwhelmed”: one soldier exclaimed, “Oh, this is our edition, this is our book.” (WR 376/20 - 4/5.03)
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