Christians in the Dark

"I know from my own experience," Helen Keller once said, "how infinitely precious religion is to those who must walk without sight." In 1928 Author Keller, blind herself since the age of 19 months, got together with Protestant home-mission leaders and members of the International Council of Religious Education to do something about keeping other blind people better in touch with the church. They founded an organization called the John Milton Society, after the blind poet whose strong Puritan faith sustained him in his misfortunes./-

In Manhattan last week, officers of the John Milton Society, headed by 72-year-old President Keller, celebrated their 25th anniversary and looked back on an impressive effort. Now sponsored by 56 Protestant denominations, the society publishes more than 4,000,000 pages of religious books and hymnals in Braille each year for some 8,000 blind readers in the U.S. and in 66 foreign countries. (Sample selections: The Christian Faith for Laymen, Man Does Not Stand Alone, Bible Stories for Children). A new talking-book magazine, begun last year (current circ. 3,000), offers religious news, Bible studies, Sunday-school lessons and stories on specially made records. Special prayer services are printed in Braille editions, so that blind people can share in worship at their churches.

Overseas, the society, partly from contributions received from the blind in the U.S., helps train Christian teachers for the blind, and lends support to 40 Christian schools and homes for blind children, including one not far behind the battle lines at Taegu, Korea. In the U.S. and abroad, more than 90% of its blind readers are communicants of some Christian denomination.

/-Wrote Milton, in his famous sonnet On His Blindness: When I consider how my light is spent, E're half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one Talent which is death to hide, Lodg'd with me useless, though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, least he returning chide, Doth God exact day-labour, light deny'd, I fondly ask; But patience to prevent That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need Either man's work or his own gifts, who best Bear his milde yoak, they serve him best, his State Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed And post o're Land and Ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and waite.

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