‘They Are Interested in Helping Others’

THAT is what a New York City policeman said about Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was speaking to Kathleen, one of the full-time volunteers serving at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York.

During her noon break, on a warm and sunny autumn day, Kathleen sat on a bench on the nearby Promenade. She was listening to an audiocassette player equipped with headphones. At a heliport across the East River, preparations were under way for the departure of the pope, who had been visiting the city. Security was tight everywhere, and a number of policemen were patrolling the Promenade. One of them approached Kathleen and asked what she was doing. Kathleen replied: “I am listening to a Russian-language tape. You see, I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I want to learn Russian in order to share the good news of God’s Kingdom with Russian-speaking people who have come to live in the city.”

The policeman responded that he had grown to admire Jehovah’s Witnesses during his last 15 years as a patrol officer in New York City. He said: “I see Jehovah’s Witnesses as an organized religion whose members are sincerely interested in helping others in the community.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses are known worldwide for the door-to-door preaching work they do. (Acts 20:20) While they point to God’s Kingdom as the only solution for the problems that plague mankind, they also help people improve their quality of life by encouraging them to apply Bible principles in their daily lives. For example, the Witnesses urge parents to provide an environment at home that is conducive to learning. They exhort individuals to be honest and law-abiding, encouraging them to acquire skills and qualities that an employer will find valuable.

Yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses are very much interested in helping people in the community to improve their lives. You are warmly invited to respond to the following offer.