It’s Book Week and we are celebrating reading and the quality books that are available to us. Is there a book that has left a lasting impression on you? Are there favourite books or stories you remember from your childhood? What books are you reading with your children at present?

Books can inform, entertain, teach, challenge or inspire us. Some books can change our lives. What would you say are the most popular books of our times? What might be the greatest books ever written? Do you know that the Bible is the best-selling publication of all time with estimated total sales of about five billion copies? It has been or is being translated into about half the world’s languages.

The Bible is a book that is made up of sixty-six smaller ‘books’, starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation. The Bible is divided into two parts; the Old Testament with thirty-nine books, and the New Testament with twenty-seven books. Each book is further divided into chapters and verses. The Bible has had a strong influence on literature and history (such as being the foundation of the laws of most western countries). It is estimated that around 100 million copies are printed each year.

For Christians, the Bible is God’s book - God’s ideas (or messages) written down by humans. It is God’s word to us. It tells of God’s plan for this world from creation to the end of time. Most importantly it tells of God’s plan for us. God came into our world as a human baby who grew into the man Jesus; and Jesus told us and showed us what God is like. Jesus' life, death and resurrection reassure us of God’s love for all people and gives us hope for our future. Through Jesus, God wants us to be part of his family.

As we celebrate great books and even greater stories, let’s also remember what the Bible has to offer through its narratives, prose and poetry. Most of all, it is a great book of love and hope.

- Peter Weier, Interim Principal