At cost, subsidised, or 'with profits' ?

At the weekend, we got to see this. The Logos Hope. Having heard about the Logos ships down the decades, and having been told that morning that one was in town (or more correctly in the harbour), I found myself driving to the Cardiff waterfront with no little anticipation. To see, in the flesh so to speak, an item of evangelistic legend, would be an opportunity not to be missed - after all they don't visit the UK very often, preferring instead to take the good news of Jesus to places with less 'chance' of hearing about Him, or so I imagine.

The ship was in the inner basin, just by the lightship restaurant. Big signs on the superstructure welcomed all aboard for no cost, and thus encouraged, we too mounted the gangplank to see what lay inside. On the main visitor deck, we found a large bookshop, a cafe, an excellent exhibition about the ship and its recent visits, and a briefing area for those who wanted the full tour (cost 2 (or 3) pounds), which alas we didn't have time for. But it was the bookshop that surprised me. It was billed by the smiling crew members as 'educational', which when translated meant it comprised about 60% christian books, 10% christian music CDs, 20% kids stuff, and the balance being general interest. There was nothing from UK publishers that I spotted, and UK authors were only represented via US publishers. The CDs were American, and the general interest stuff was anodyne in the extreme, and also American. But none of that was particularly noteworthy in itself, Logos has, after all, O.M. behind it, and that is American. No, what stuck me was the cost. Or rather, the lack of it. Bibles on sale for a few pounds, books that cost nine or twelve pounds in the UK on sale for 2.50 or 3.50. And those were not odd 'bargains', everything was priced at the same level.

So I asked myself, and I ask you gentle reader, is the UK Christian book buying public being ripped off ? Or was it all heavily subsidised ?

Whatever the answer, next time you see a Logos ship in your harbour, if you need a good book or three, step on board.