1921 One Hundred Years ago

THE Watch Tower of January 1, 1921, ask Bible Students this question: “So which work dey front wey we de really expect to do this year?” To answer the question, the Watch Tower quote Isaiah 61:1, 2. That verse remind the Bible Students of the work wey they get to preach the good news. The verse talk say: ‘Jehovah don choose me to tell good news to humble people . . . E send me to announce the year wey Jehovah go show e favor and the day wey our God go bring punishment.’

THEY NO FEAR TO PREACH

If the Bible Students want continue to preach, they go need to get strong heart. They go preach good news to humble people and still preach about judgment to wicked people.

Brother J. H. Hoskin, wey live for Canada, no fear to preach even with trouble wey e face from people. For 1921, e meet one Methodist preacher. Brother Hoskin start the discussion like this: “We suppose enjoy our discussion from Bible together, and even if we no agree for some things, we fit end our discussion well and still continue to be friends.” But no be so e happen. Brother Hoskin talk say: “Na only small time we don talk when the preacher hit the door with force sotey I think say the big glass for the door go fall for ground.”

The preacher shout say: “Why you no go meet people wey no be Christian and talk to them?” Brother Hoskin no answer the man. But as e de comot e talk for e mind say, ‘You think say you no dey among them?’

When the man preach for e church the next day, e continue to talk bad things about Brother Hoskin. Brother Hoskin talk say: “E warn the church people about me, and tell them say na me be the number one liar wey don ever come that town, and say they suppose shoot me die.” But this one no make Brother Hoskin stop. E continue to preach and plenty people listen. E talk say: “I really enjoy my preaching for that place. Some of the people even talk say, ‘I know say you be man of God!’ And they tell me say they go help me with the things wey I need.”

PERSONAL STUDY AND FAMILY STUDY

To help people understand Bible more, the Bible Students de always put Bible questions and answers for the magazine wey them de call The Golden Age.a Bible questions dey for young people wey papa and mama fit discuss with their children. Papa and mama go “ask their children this questions and help them to find the answers for Bible.” Some questions like “How many books Bible get?,” teach some simple things about Bible. Other questions like “Make all true Christian expect say people go suffer them?,” prepare young people to get strong heart as them de preach.

Bible questions and answers still dey for people wey we de study Bible with, wey don already know plenty things for Bible. The answers to the questions dey for the first book of Studies in the Scriptures wey they write. Plenty people learn many things from this questions wey be for young people and for our Bible students. But they announce for The Golden Age of December 21, 1921 say this questions no go dey again. So why e no go dey again?

NEW BOOK!

The book wey be *The Harp of God*

Card wey get where the student go read

Cards wey get questions

The brothers wey de direct the work see say, people need to learn about Bible topic by topic. Because of this one, they release the book The Harp of God for November 1921. People wey get interest and wey accept the book still join one Bible study program wey they fit do by theirself. The name na The Harp Bible Study Course. This Bible study program help people learn about “the arrangement wey God don make to give people everlasting life.” How the program be?

When person accept the book, e go receive one small card wey they write the page them wey e go read for the book. Then the next week, the person go receive another card wey get different-different question about the things wey e don read. The last thing wey they write for the card na the place wey the person go read for next week.

Every week for 12 weeks, the student go receive one new card from the congregation wey near the person. Plenty times, na old people for congregation, or people wey no fit go house to house de send the cards. For example, Anna K. Gardner from America talk say: “When they release The Harp of God, this one give my sister wey e name na Thayle more work to do. E de send the cards wey get questions every week. This my sister de struggle to waka.” When the student finish the program, person for congregation go visit the student to help the student learn more from Bible.

Thayle Gardner sit-down for e wheelchair

THE WORK WEY DEY FRONT

For the end of the year, Brother J. F. Rutherford send letter to all the class them, or congregations. E talk say “more people this year don hear the Kingdom message pass any other year and the message don help more people.” Then e still talk say: “Plenty work still remain. Encourage other people to join for this wonderful work.” True-true, the Bible Students follow this advice. For 1922, they no fear to preach about the Kingdom pass as them de do before.

Friends Wey Get Strong Heart

The Bible Students help each other to show say they love their brothers. They be friends with strong heart wey person “fit trust when problem dey.” The example wey we go talk about go show say this one na true.—Prov. 17:17.

For Tuesday, May 31, 1921, people start to fight each other for one place wey them de call Tulsa, Oklahoma, for America. This one happen after they talk say one black man attack one white woman, and then, they put the black man for prison. They call this fight Tulsa Race Massacre. When more than 1,000 white men come together to fight one small group of black men, quick-quick, the fight spread reach one area wey plenty black people de live wey them de call Greenwood. They thief things and they burn more than 1,400 house and business place. They talk say na 36 people die, but e fit be say the number plenty pass like that by far.

One black brother wey e name na Richard J. Hill, wey de live for Greenwood, talk wetin happen. E say: “For the night wey the fight start, we do our congregation meeting as we de do before. After the meeting, we hear as them de shoot for inside Tulsa town. We continue to hear them de shoot until we sleep.” When Wednesday morning reach, wey be June 1, the situation don worse. Brother Hill still talk say: “Some people come and tell us say, if we want protection, make we go one government building quick-quick.” So Brother Hill, e wife, and e five children, run go the government building wey the name na Tulsa’s Convention Hall. The army wey government send to stop the fight de protect about 3,000 black men and women for the place.

Around that time, Brother Arthur Claus wey be white man, make one decision wey show the kind strong heart wey e get. E talk say: “When I hear say people de thief and de burn house for Greenwood, I decide to go there and see whether my dear friend Brother Hill dey fine.”

Arthur Claus with 14 children wey e use The Harp of God teach

When Brother Claus reach Brother Hill house, e see one white man wey be Brother Hill neighbor, as e hold gun. The neighbor, wey still be Brother Hill friend, think say Brother Claus na one of the people wey de fight. So e shout and talk say: “Wetin you find come here?”

Brother Claus talk say: “If to say I no give the man better answer, e for don shoot me. I tell the man say I be Brother Hill friend, and say I don come e house plenty times.” Brother Claus and the man succeed to protect Brother Hill property make people no thief-am.

Small time, Brother Claus find out say Brother Hill and e family dey that Convention Hall. They tell Brother Claus say before any black person go fit comot from the Hall, the officer wey dey in charge, wey be General Barrett, go sign the order. Brother Claus talk say: “To see the general no easy at all. When I tell the general wetin I want do, e ask me say: ‘You go protect this family and provide the things wey they need?’ I happy and I answer yes.”

As Brother Claus collect the order, e rush go the Hall. E give the order to one officer, and the officer surprise and talk say: “Ah, na general sign-am o! You know say na you be the first person to take person comot for this place?” Small time, Brother Claus and the officer find Brother Hill and e family, and see them. All of them pack enter Brother Claus motor and they go house.

Brother Claus make sure say Brother Hill and e family dey safe. As people see the strong heart and love wey Brother Claus show, this one touch them. Brother Claus talk say: “The neighbor wey protect Brother Hill property come respect Jehovah Witness people pass before. And plenty people come get interest for the truth because they see say servants of God dey as one no matter their skin color. And no servant of God de feel say e better pass another one.”

a They change the name from The Golden Age to Consolation for 1937 and to Awake! for 1946.