by Doris Fleck

Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan snapped up the first shipment of uniquely designed, military-friendly Bibles that recently arrived from the Canadian Bible Society.

For the first time ever, Canadian soldiers have been given complete Bibles, rather than New Testaments alone, and the impact of this has astounded even seasoned chaplains, or padres, as the soldiers call them.

In a recent letter, Padre Charles Deogratias from Kandahar Airfield, wrote, "Never in the last seven years of my military career have I ever seen soldiers request Bibles to read like they are doing now in Afghanistan… In one of my Military Police units alone, almost every person asked for the Bible and when I took the whole box to them it was gone in a second…They also ask me if they can take some for their friends. That to me is an indication of how our soldiers are becoming interested in spiritual matters more than we could have ever imagined before."

While initial requests for complete Bibles came from the soldiers themselves, it was not long before Major Kevin Klein in Ottawa heard about it.

"We really needed an updated version of the Bible," Klein said. "The troops have had the same New Testament since World War II…and they were saying, ‘We want the Old Testament stories.’ "

Klein explained that Canadian troops in Afghanistan deal with life and death situations every day. Old Testament stories, like that of David and Goliath, help them realize they can face a really difficult enemy, with God’s help.

In a collaborative effort with the Military Christian Fellowship of Canada and the Canadian Bible Society, funds were raised for this project from the Bike for Bibles rides across the country this past summer. An annual event of the Canadian Bible Society, riders cycle long distances in different regions of the country with the money donated going directly to publish Bibles for a specific people group.

This year close to $125,000 was raised in nine districts across Canada by the end of August, with $44,000 coming from the Southern Alberta District alone, said district director Reg Graves.

"It’s been a project that has been easy to raise funds for and a timely project because of our military involvement in Afghanistan,” said Graves. A soldier from the Canadian Forces Base in Wainwright, Alberta joined the Southern Alberta ride and raised more than $7,000 toward the cause. 

The Bibles, uniquely designed by the Canadian Bible Society, have covers that reflect the different Canadian camouflage uniforms. Inside is an introduction from the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Rick Hillier, a Christian who is very popular with the troops. There is also a section that "shows you where to look when you’re tired, worried or afraid," explained Klein.

Designed to fit in the pockets of current military uniforms, four versions were printed with a press run of 5,000 each. English Bibles, using the Good News translation, were published in Catholic and Protestant editions. Similarly two versions were published in French.

"The first effort was to get the French language Bibles produced because the current rotation in Afghanistan is largely Francophone," said Padre Jacques Vaillancourt from the Canadian Forces Base in Wainwright.

With the French Catholic edition already out of stock, the Bible Society is looking into reprinting that edition.

Vaillancourt said the Bibles are being scooped up because they look like military uniforms and "that’s the hook to get it into their pockets." Once there, "it’s the situation in Afghanistan, the reality of facing your own mortality that brings the Bible out of the pocket. The soldiers are reading it and drawing comfort from it and guidance on how to be a person of faith, of integrity, in a situation that is chaotic."

Vaillancourt’s personal goal was to encourage the soldiers to realize that the Christian Church had not forgotten them.

These Bibles are one more example "that the Church is there with them and shares their hardships and their joys," Vaillancourt said.

"In a culture that has become increasingly secular, to have soldiers clear out almost four boxes of Bibles and ask for more, and the soldiers here at Wainwright asking the chaplains on a frequent basis, ‘When are our Bibles coming in?’--that is remarkable," Vaillancourt marveled. "It’s a great miracle."