Fine Conduct Brings Praise

THE Italian newspaper La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno commended Jehovah’s Witnesses for publishing the article “Matera—City of Unique Cave Dwellings.” This article appeared in the July 8, 1997, issue of Awake! magazine, which had an extensive circulation in many languages. Awake! is currently being translated into 81 languages and has a circulation of over 19 million copies worldwide. The newspaper commented that Awake! set the summer’s record “when it comes to advertising campaigns to promote the historic and artistic heritage of the city [of Matera].”

The newspaper praised the Witnesses in connection with the “Faith in God’s Word” District Convention held in Matera in 1997. The article noted that the Witnesses managed “to get 4,000 people to the [city’s] XXI Settembre Stadium in the middle of summer and under the scorching sun; they have taken care of the cleanup, repainting, and basic upgrading of this sports center (particularly the toilet facilities) completely free of charge, meeting the expense for the purchase of necessary materials themselves.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses strive to be good neighbors. (Matthew 22:37-39) They also follow the Scriptural admonition: “Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, that . . . they may as a result of your fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God in the day for his inspection.”—1 Peter 2:12.