Postscript: Farewell!
Postscript: Farewell!
As I lay down my pen for the last time (literally, since I confess I am not computerized) at the age of eighty-eight, I venture to send this valedictory message to my readers. I am grateful for your encouragement, for many of you have written to me.
Looking ahead, none of us of course knows what the future of printing and publishing may be. But I myself am confident that the future of books is assured and that, though they will be complemented, they will never be altogether replaced. For there is something unique about books. Our favourite books become very precious to us and we even develop with them an almost living and affectionate relationship. Is it an altogether fanciful fact that we handle, stroke and even smell them as tokens of our esteem and affection? I am not referring only to an author’s feeling for what he has written, but to all readers and their library. I have made it a rule not to quote from any book unless I have first handled it. So let me urge you to keep reading, and encourage your relatives and friends to do the same. For this is a much-neglected means of grace.
Of course, there are millions of our sisters and brothers in Christ around the world who would dearly love to have books to read to help them grow in their discipleship. Yet they have almost none, while we in the West have more than anybody can read. That is why I have assigned the royalties of all my own books to the work of Langham Literature, to enable more believers and their pastors in poorer parts of the world to obtain good Christian books both in English and in their own languages, and so be strengthened in their faith and their preaching. I wonder if I might encourage you to consider this and the other ministries of the Langham Partnership, which are dear to my own heart, as worthy of your interest and support.
Readers may like to know that I have appointed in my will a small group of literary executors chaired by Frank Entwistle, who are kindly willing to handle any questions which may arise in relation to my books. A sample of each book, together with a sample of contributions to other books and all my papers, will be kept in safe custody in Lambeth Palace Library by generous agreement of Dr Richard Palmer, the librarian and archivist, who has kindly offered to make them available to researchers. My office address will continue to be 12 Weymouth Street, London W1W 5BY and will be supervised by Frances Whitehead, the inimitable and indefatigable.
Once again, farewell!