Stadium Improvers

Far from being “stadium wreckers,” Jehovah’s Witnesses have built up a solid reputation as stadium improvers. For example, in Cork City, Ireland, the management of Neptune Stadium was delighted to see 60 volunteer Witnesses of both sexes clean up the stadium garden. An official praised them, saying: “What you did on Saturday was unbelievable. Everybody is talking about it. You’ve put us to shame. . . . You came along and just got on with the job. . . . It’s fantastic.”

One of the 15 conventions in Britain was held at the Manchester City football ground, where a member of the staff commented: “It’s lovely to have you back to give the place a good clean. I hope that all your good work won’t be undone by the crowds at the rock concert next week.”

In Valencia, Spain, a stadium official exclaimed: “Your cleanliness is unbelievable! If our club wasn’t in so much need of funds, we would let you use the stadium free of charge.”

When the Witnesses leave “their assembly grounds,” observed an editorial in the Norwegian newspaper Troms Folkeblad, “the facilities are turned over to the owners in almost better condition than when the Witnesses rented them. And all the work they do on such occasions is based on what they call ‘voluntary service.’ Yes, it is awe-inspiring indeed.”

In view of their reputation as peaceful, orderly conventioners, Jehovah’s Witnesses are being welcomed in many places where people were prejudiced against them for religious or other reasons. For instance, in Tomar, central Portugal, a town councillor told one of the organizers of the “Divine Peace” convention there: “You can use all the Municipal Stadium facilities we have. We know you will turn everything over in good condition. It is a pleasure to have you in our community, and we appreciate that you are exemplary, law-abiding citizens.”

Peace and Good Order

Yes, people notice the contrast between the conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the gatherings of others. “There won’t be liquor, drugs, cigarettes or rock music,” noted The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington.

Continuing its report on the “Divine Peace” convention there, the newspaper said: “At the yearly conventions, which are held worldwide, children attend the daylong sessions along with their parents. Officials say they have few problems with discipline because parents teach children to respect them and to behave.”

Wherever Jehovah’s Witnesses hold conventions, they also endeavor to cooperate with local authorities and residents. For example, in Leeds, northern England, the Witnesses were concerned that the arrival and departure of convention delegates at the local football ground might cause some inconvenience to the workers at a factory nearby. So the convention office wrote the company, advising the management of the convention dates and the program schedule.

After the convention was over, the secretary for Pullmax, the company involved, wrote Jehovah’s Witnesses: “May we congratulate you, your colleagues and delegates on their orderly behaviour. To our knowledge there was little disruption or inconvenience experienced over the period of the convention proving that people can meet in large numbers without creating havoc if principles and attitudes are maintained.”

What prompts the cooperative spirit manifested by Jehovah’s Witnesses? A reporter covering the “Divine Peace” convention in Marseilles, France, pointed to the answer in the newspaper Le Provençal. “Living as a Jehovah’s Witness,” he wrote, “involves accepting certain principles, whether in the field of education, family life, or marriage, and these principles are drawn from the Bible. . . . The Word of God governs their entire life.”

Allowing Bible principles to guide their lives indeed yields peaceable fruitage, as the daily Stampa Sera notes in its comments on the “Divine Peace” convention held in Turin, Italy. “In the local stadium,” the paper said, “that great crowd gave, as always, an example of rigor, seriousness, and professionalism, together with prayer and a warm welcome to anyone who came near.”

Peaceful Relations With Others

A Bible psalmist wrote: “Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law, and for them there is no stumbling block.” (Psalm 119:165) An example of how the application of God’s law can prevent trouble was seen at the convention in Dortmund, Federal Republic of Germany. There, some 24,000 Witnesses had to line up for their meal in wind and heavy rain. Did they complain?

The German newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung commented: “Thousands of umbrellas formed an almost compact roof over their heads. Faithful to the assembly motto ‘Divine Peace,’ there was no grumbling, no unrest.”

The peaceful relations Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoy with others is shown by the confidence placed in them. For example, in Denmark at the stadium in Århus, the keys of all the buildings were given to the Witnesses. “The whole staff was sent on vacation,” the convention committee reports. “That is how much they trusted Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

In Switzerland one of the “Divine Peace” conventions was held in the Hallenstadion, Zurich. The first morning, the men in charge of the parking lot arrived too late to collect the parking fee. By that time many Witnesses had already parked their cars and had made their way to the stadium without paying. An announcement was made to the conventioners regarding the matter. Some found unbelievable what happened the next day.

“Impossible! Impossible!” a parking official exclaimed. “Never in my life have I met people who parked their cars one day and came back voluntarily the following day offering to pay. If people all over the world were as honest as that, many problems would be solved.”

In Finland a maintenance man at the Helsinki Ice Hall used for the convention enjoyed the songs of praise to Jehovah that were sung before, during, and after the sessions. He said: “Your music is beautiful, and the words of your songs are positive and meaningful.”

In Sweden a senior university lecturer was greatly impressed by the happiness and harmony so evident at the Norrköping “Divine Peace” convention. She stated: “I am used to attending conferences that last several days. The form of education presented here surpasses everything I have experienced. I am delighted with the content, the methods, and the high quality throughout.”