Vatican City—Verbum
Domini II: God’s Word Goes Out to the Nations is a remarkable testament to
the power of Holy Scripture and peoples’ thirst for the Word of God.

From the Greek World to Northeast Africa to China, the
British Isles, North America and even the moon, God’s Word has known no bounds.
An astounding reality is that this book, translated into more than 2,500
languages and 160 countries, has still remained true to the original Greek and
Hebrew text.

Even more striking are the sacrifices people have made—some
with their lives—to bring God’s message of love to others.

Two days after Verbum
Domini II opened to packed crowds, I come with a few colleagues from
American Bible Society, one of the exhibit sponsors.

Only a few people are here this early, which makes my experience
even more special. A globe at the entrance spins, and recordings of Gregorian
chants immediately signal the sacred walk I am about to take.

Twelve galleries chronicle the journeys God’s Word has taken,
beginning with the Greek world. Three fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls
capture the texts of Daniel 10, Ezekiel 28 and Jeremiah 23. And the front of a
child’s sarcophagus (circa 325-350 CE) bears an array of scenes from the Old
and New Testament.

Moving to the gallery containing sacred texts and artifacts
from Northeast Africa, I am struck by the colors that depict the life of Mary
in an Ethiopian manuscript. During the mid-15th century, the
Ethiopian church promoted Mary’s veneration. This manuscript, one of the
plethora of Marian visual arts from the period, demonstrates the Ethiopian
Church’s devotion to her.

As I move from one gallery to another, I am in awe of the
beautiful array of psalters, Bibles, Torahs and other sacred texts. There are
so many, each with their own story and journey. As I look at them, I imagine
the people who cherished God’s Word and were determined to pass it on—no matter
the cost—to others.

What moved me the most was the video chronicling the story
of five American missionaries who were killed in 1956 while trying to make
contact with the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador, an extraordinarily violent people
group.

Although these missionaries lost their lives, their
sacrifice to bring God’s Word to the Huaorani tribe did not go in vain. Family
members of one of the deceased missionaries befriended a woman from the tribe
and eventually moved in among them. An amazing thing
happened: The homicide rate dropped almost immediately by 90 percent.

The transition from violence to peace occurred because of
the Bible, said a tribal chief. “We acted badly until they brought us God’s
carvings. Now we walk his trail.”

Seeing the Bible that made it to the moon was another
cherished moment. Because of weight restrictions, the only Bibles that could
make the 384,400-kilometer journey were those printed on microfilm.

All 1,245 pages of the King James Bible were condensed on a
4-centimeter square, and on February 5, 1971, the KJV landed on the moon.

Verbum Domini II
is beautiful and edifying. It tells the story of love and faithfulness—from God
to his people and from his people back to their Creator.

Verbum Domini II:
God’s Word Goes Out to the Nations is free and open to the public until June
22. It is located at the Braccio di Carlo Magno Museum in St. Peter’s Square in
Vatican City.