January 30, 2024 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, January 30.
The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. is considered to be America's library, and boasts 32 million books. It began in 1800 when Congress moved to Washington from New York City. But in 1814, during a war with England, the British burned it to the ground. On January 30, 1815, Thomas Jefferson offered his personal collection of 6500 volumes as a replacement, and was paid $24,000 in return. That's a half-million dollars in today's money.
Over the next ten years, before his death, Jefferson began collecting again, amassing over 2000 books. During this time, in a letter to John Adams, he wrote "I cannot live without books". I feel the same way. I usually have three books going - one non-fiction, one fiction, and one just for fun. Here's some famous quotes from some famous people about reading.
- A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. George R.R. Martin
- I never thought I loved to read. One does not love breathing. Harper Lee
- I find TV very educational. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book. Groucho Marx
Among those 32 million books in the Library of Congress is one singular volume. It is one of three perfect copies known to exist. It is a Bible, a Gutenberg Bible. Here's a few more quotes from some other famous people.
- Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.
- Jeremiah 23:29 - Is not my Word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces?
- Psalm 119:105 - Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
