CLC

On Sunday morning I referenced the story of Kenneth Adams (and Jessie his wife) who founded what is now a worldwide network of Christian bookshops.  Their's was an inspiring story of faith

which you can read here.

What I find interesting is that this story began in a small property in Colchester, Essex on November 1 1941.  Anything else going on at the time?  Well, the German Army was still trying to march on Moscow.  The British and Allies were preparing in two weeks to launch what now appears unfortunately-named Operation Crusader to capture Tobruk in North Africa.  Thousands of miles East the Japanese were preparing for the momentous attack on America's Pearl Harbor in a month's time.

Strange, isn't it?  The German Army never reached Moscow, despite commiting its whole strength to the task.  The British and Germans are long gone from, and not very welcome in Libya, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor backfired spectacularly resulting in their land being the first, and to date only, place that has suffered nuclear war. 

But there are still CLC bookshops carrying out their intended purpose.

And one other thing.  The bookshops were once spoken of as a 'spiritual Woolworths'.  This would have seemed a bit ridiculous as you walked into a little Christian Bookshop dwarfed by the large Woolworths store down the street.  But again, CLC Bookshops have lasted rather better than Woolworths, which entered High Street oblivion a year ago.

I suppose, in a similar manner, Caesar Augustus would be surprised to find that so many people have recently been singing about a baby born in an obscure building in an obscure town in one of his obscure Eastern provinces. And not a single song about him.

You really cannot tell what God might be up to with small things.