A steady stream of believers has been flowing through the premises of the Suriname Bible Society, where an unprecedented 24-hour non-stop reading marathon of religious scripture is underway to mark the institution’s six decades of service. As part of the event, every participant takes a turn reading at least two full chapters of the Bible, keeping the words of the text alive without interruption across an entire day and night.
Organized to celebrate the society’s 60th founding anniversary, the marathon kicked off at 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday and will run continuously until 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. While the organization officially marked its milestone anniversary on May 3, the society has planned a full calendar of public outreach events throughout the entire year, and the reading marathon stands as one of its flagship community activities.
Shulaika Cairo, a representative of the organizing committee, explained the core mission behind the event in an interview. “Our goal is to raise greater public awareness of the Bible, and to remind people across Suriname that this book can be engaged with at any time of day, in any season of life. That’s the message we want to share with our broader society, and that’s why we’re committing to 24 full hours of continuous reading, straight through the night,” she said.
So far, the marathon has drawn participants from a wide range of backgrounds across Suriname, bringing together ordinary citizens, church leaders, and sitting government ministers alike. Reflecting the country’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity, readings have already been delivered in five different languages: Dutch, English, Portuguese, Aukan, and Javanese.
The organization has pre-registered 70 participants to cover the full 24-hour reading schedule, and Cairo noted that the roster is nearly full. Even so, she added, the door remains open to any person who feels drawn to join the event at the last minute. “If someone truly feels called to come and read with us, they are more than welcome, and we will find a way to make it work,” she said.