Amid Egypt’s Revival – Bringing the Bible into Homes and Churches

Right now in Egypt, something Christians have prayed for for decades is unfolding: a widespread spiritual awakening. People are thirsting for God’s Word, longing for a Bible of their own and reading it actively at home and in their churches. The Finnish Bible Society’s Christmas appeal brings the fruits of this revival to poor families.

The revival is visible and audible

I stepped into an evening service in a church in Alexandria. A quiet sense of expectation filled the aisles: Bible pages turned, verses were read aloud. Worshippers of all ages testified to one another how reading God’s Word had changed their lives. “Reading the Bible protects me from evil,” a young woman said. Another added, “I used to know about God; now I have come to know Him.”

I saw with my own eyes that this is not a campaign or a passing enthusiasm but a change that runs through everyday life. When the pastor asked who still didn’t have a Bible of their own, many hands went up. At the church gate I met a mother who told me she had begun evening prayers with her children after they received a children’s book donated by the Bible Society.

Coptic roots and living faith

For many young people, opening the Bible is a path to discovering their identity as Coptic Christians. When the text is read together in families and small groups, history and contemporary life find their place on the same map. In the Scriptures, God draws near and one’s roots come into focus: faith is not only tradition but a living relationship.

The message of Christmas—the wonder that God becomes human—begins to open for the first time. Then comes the desire to have a Bible of one’s own and to continue reading in everyday life, at school and at work. In these reading circles the Gospels come close: the text is read aloud, questions are faced, and people seek how the Word carries them through daily life.

A Bible for every home

This revival has created an enormous need: more Bibles are being requested than ever before. Yet not everyone can afford one. Egypt’s economy is in crisis; the cost of living has risen sharply, and more and more families are struggling. That is why the work of the Finnish Bible Society is especially timely now.

This Christmas we are bringing Bibles and Christian children’s books to homes where such a gift would otherwise be impossible. One book can change a life’s direction—opening a door to prayer and hope. Amir Elhamy, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Egypt, puts it this way: “God’s Word is not just a book. When you give a Bible, you don’t only give information—you give the gift of life.”

The Finnish Bible Society’s Christmas appeal is a concrete answer to this longing. Every donated children’s book encourages parents to read with their child. Every Bible given to a young person lights a flame that shines in homes and churches. Our task is to ensure that families living below the poverty line also reach the heart of this revival. Together with local congregations we seek out the villages and neighborhoods where the need is greatest and place the gifts directly into people’s hands.