Vatican City—Verbum Domini II: God’s Word Goes Out to the Nations is a remarkable testament to the power of Holy Scripture and peoples’ thirst for the Word of God.

From the Greek World to Northeast Africa to China, the British Isles, North America and even the moon, God’s Word has known no bounds. An astounding reality is that this book, translated into more than 2,500 languages and 160 countries, has still remained true to the original Greek and Hebrew text.

Even more striking are the sacrifices people have made—some with their lives—to bring God’s message of love to others.

Two days after Verbum Domini II opened to packed crowds, I come with a few colleagues from American Bible Society, one of the exhibit sponsors.

Only a few people are here this early, which makes my experience even more special. A globe at the entrance spins, and recordings of Gregorian chants immediately signal the sacred walk I am about to take.

Twelve galleries chronicle the journeys God’s Word has taken, beginning with the Greek world. Three fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls capture the texts of Daniel 10, Ezekiel 28 and Jeremiah 23. And the front of a child’s sarcophagus (circa 325-350 CE) bears an array of scenes from the Old and New Testament.

Moving to the gallery containing sacred texts and artifacts from Northeast Africa, I am struck by the colors that depict the life of Mary in an Ethiopian manuscript. During the mid-15^th century, the Ethiopian church promoted Mary’s veneration. This manuscript, one of the plethora of Marian visual arts from the period, demonstrates the Ethiopian Church’s devotion to her.

As I move from one gallery to another, I am in awe of the beautiful array of psalters, Bibles, Torahs and other sacred texts. There are so many, each with their own story and journey. As I look at them, I imagine the people who cherished God’s Word and were determined to pass it on—no matter the cost—to others.

What moved me the most was the video chronicling the story of five American missionaries who were killed in 1956 while trying to make contact with the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador, an extraordinarily violent people group.

Although these missionaries lost their lives, their sacrifice to bring God’s Word to the Huaorani tribe did not go in vain. Family members of one of the deceased missionaries befriended a woman from the tribe and eventually moved in among them. An amazing thing happened: The homicide rate dropped almost immediately by 90 percent.

The transition from violence to peace occurred because of the Bible, said a tribal chief. “We acted badly until they brought us God’s carvings. Now we walk his trail.”

Seeing the Bible that made it to the moon was another cherished moment. Because of weight restrictions, the only Bibles that could make the 384,400-kilometer journey were those printed on microfilm.

All 1,245 pages of the King James Bible were condensed on a 4-centimeter square, and on February 5, 1971, the KJV landed on the moon.

Verbum Domini II is beautiful and edifying. It tells the story of love and faithfulness—from God to his people and from his people back to their Creator.

Verbum Domini II: God’s Word Goes Out to the Nations is free and open to the public until June 22. It is located at the Braccio di Carlo Magno Museum in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.