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.”

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.”

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.”