Thousands of people thronged the city streets to see the opening pageant of Adelaide’s Festival of Arts. The sunset glow was fading. when the coloured illuminations and floodlights outlined the buildings and displayed the rows of invited guests flanking the dais where the Australian viceregal representatives and leaders of Parliament were assembled.
But there would not have been anything of that evening’s events worth recording for our readers, except for one rather surprising spectacle, which, for at ,least a few among the many there, remained a fixed and satisfying memory, when all other impressions were fading out.
This is how it happened. Led with the torch-bearers and band music, the first of many decorated floats moved into view. Marshalled groups of men and women, some in colourful national costumes, escorted their richly designed exhibits as a tribute to the Arts they represented.
Here were tokens of the culture enjoyed by people of today: Music, in song and instrumental form, Drama and classic plays, Pictorial Art of colour and design, Science, to give expanding knowledge, and Literature, to feed the mind and provide for greater learning. Each moved on, like dissolving picture views, across the flood-lit sector of television recording, that sent the scene to distant parts and many homes.
And then into the line of view emerged this strange “anomaly”: a pair of horses sedately drawing an ancient chariot, with a dark-skinned driver, erect with reins in hand, and two others, one also an eastern type in face and dress, seated and talking earnestly over an old style type of book. No title or sign identified this scene, so naturally the quick enquiry flashed to mind, “Just what is this intended to be—a scene from early Greek mythology, or ancient Roman history?”. And, while our gaze lingered on this strange tableau, a trailer following close behind brought into view an erect, shoulder-high model of a book, green covered, with white lettering that one quick glance knew to be, “THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE”! One moment more and it had gone, as following features moved on in brilliant procession until all passed out of view.
In after memories, the simple scene recurred, vivid and clear, yet puzzling, “Just why? What was this intended for—an advertisement?” But there is no need—the Book is a best-seller—and no trade name was given or any other clue. Yet is seemed vaguely familiar, like some dim past experience being re-enacted. But who? and where? and what?
So, by checking all the picture parts over one by one, we found it, satisfying and complete: “Go up and join this chariot”—so Philip ran and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet—and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading? And he said How can I, unless some one guides me?” And the Ethiopian invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of scripture was that which we read, too, in our day from chapter 53. 7, 8, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this? about himself or about some one else?”
“Then beginning with this scripture, Philip told him the good news about Jesus” (R.S.V.).
The whole aspect of the passing pageant now became changed, a new colour was introduced that enlivened the whole picture. Some one had brought to the Festival of Arts the token of the Bible’s influence enjoy as a heritage from those who suffered . . . an example of the religious freedom we and died in their struggle with the dominant church and rulers in England of 300 years ago.
The public display in the pageant of an open Bible, translated in the language of our day, was a witness to the everlasting influence that that Book—above all others —had made upon the nation. The philosophy of Greece had left its mark, Roman thought and culture had been woven into the life of the people, but no alien culture ever had the ennobling effect on the national character that the words of Israel’s prophets did, when heard and received by the English people.
That these words represented in the pageant scene were from Apostolic times would pass unnoticed by the casual observer, but not by the more observant mind that recognised their origin from the nation which, 2,700 years ago, had Divine Law for guidance and Inspired Prophets for teachers and who gave to the world, through them, the finest and most sublime examples of all literature.
So the seemingly “strange anomaly” was really the best and most fitting of all tokens brought to the Festival of Arts. We esteem the British and Foreign Bible Society for their contribution that recognised the value of the Scriptures in the world of today. Those of a past generation may recall that on the occasion of the Queen Victoria Jubilee celebrations in 1895 a streamer was suspended across the street from the office of “The Christadelphian” that read, “AN OPEN BIBLE — THE GLORY OF VICTORIA’S REIGN !”
It is still open, more widely known and definitely leading on to that Greater Glory when the “Good News of Jesus” is accomplished by His presence and place as Lord and King over all nations, according to all that the prophets have spoken.
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay