more important to humankind than preaching, regardless of how the worldlywise view the matter. “God saw good through the foolishness of what is preached to save those believing.”—1 Cor. 1:21, NW.

The situation in the world today invites us to preach, and happy are we if we accept and act upon the invitation. When Paul heard the Macedonian cry for help he promptly responded to the invitation as being from the Lord, and the book of Acts tells of the many privileges and blessings he enjoyed because of his thus responding. Likewise shall we enjoy many privileges if we respond to the invitations coming from countries, lands, states, counties, provinces and territories where there is a need for Kingdom publishers. But we not only have an invitation from these, but God himself commands us: “Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. . . . let them hear, and say, It is truth.”—Isa. 43:8, 9, AS.

And as we respond to the invitation and obey the command to preach let us make sure that we give the message in the language that the people understand, not only in their tongue, but also on their level of intelligence. “For truly, if the bugle sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? In the same way also, unless you through the tongue utter speech easily understood, how will it be known what is being spoken? You will, in fact, be speaking into the air.” (1 Cor. 14:8, 9, NW) If we do not want to be speaking into the blank space, we must give the witness to the people in their understood language and in terms they can grasp.

True, in spite of our earnestness, in spite of our efforts to make the truth simple and easily understood, many will turn deaf ears to our message. But what of that? Many also refused to listen to Christ Jesus, the greatest Preacher of all time; and the slave is not better than his Master, is he? (John 6:60; 15:20) Shall the general indifference and unresponsiveness of the people, or shall the divine command, determine what we will do? Jehovah’s word to Ezekiel answers: “Thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”—Ezek. 2:7.

While many will refuse to hear and thus show themselves to be worthy of destruction, the Lord’s Word assures us that some will hear: “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book.” “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. . . . and the tongue of the dumb sing.” (Isa. 29:18; 35:5, 6) The physical facts show that an ever-increasing number are hearing with understanding, are letting the truth go from their ears into their hearts and come upon their lips. Like the sound of many waters and as the sound of heavy thunders, the voices of this great crowd are saying: “Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.” (Rev. 19:5, 6, NW) Do you have ears that hear? Then let that which has entered your heart also be upon your lips that others also may hear.

Religious Fog and Concealment

“When people just broadly approve of ‘God,’ ‘faith,’ ‘prayer,’ etc., it is about as vague as fog, gives no direction to their lives and no fuel for going anywhere.”—“Rev.” George F. Tittman, rector, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, Va.

“As it now functions, the church represents a false God and a false Christ but more tragically it conceals the true God and the true Christ.”—“Rev.” Dr. Paul T. McClurkin on resigning from the First Congregational Church, Hadley, Mass.