We have a tract printed each month for placement on the display tree stand in the foyer at Crockett Church of Christ. They are for anyone’s use. Now, what is the benefit of a tract?
There are several benefits. One, it is small in size and affords a quick reading and subsequent re-reading more readily (and more likely) than reading a full-size book on a subject. Verses are limited, and thereby, they are easily read or encourage follow up in the Bible to see the full context. Such is so helpful to discern real righteousness found in believing in Christ instead of resorting to our personal definitions of righteousness (Philippians 3:9). In this way, we can go back to the examples in the Book of Acts of the Apostles and see how they understood the message and obeyed to receive the righteousness of the Lord.
Two, a tract sums up the subject. The front of a tract usually reveals the subject matter and may even imply a biblical application of the truth about the topic. Sometimes, a tract may use a chart that shows how a person about whom we read in Scripture understood and obeyed the Gospel that he was taught.
Three, a person can underline points to emphasize them. Highlighters and pens work well for providing emphasis of information we don’t want someone to whom we give the tract to overlook. Marking or highlighting makes it possible to immediately revisit the major points. By encouraging a friend in study to give attention to the highlighted areas, the study may be taken to another level quickly and I have had people say, “I never saw that prior to your pointing this out.”
Four, of all the good a tract can do, there is one thing a tract cannot do. It cannot reach out and take anyone’s hand to force a person to take a copy of the tract. Sometimes, the subject is of great enough interest, it seems to cause the tract to fly off the shelf on which you have placed it to be seen and to be taken, but that’s the interest of the reader, not the tract forcing anyone to receive it or to read it.
Have you seen tracts as beneficial for you and your personal work with others?
[Editor’s Note: Written literature is always ready when the reader is ready (unlike radio or TV), it has a long shelf life, it can go places we cannot go, and multiple copies of a tract can go simultaneously in different directions. Tracts are more affordable to produce and distribute than books, and they because of their comparative brevity are more likely to be read. A well-written tract provides the crux of any subject discussed therein. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
