A Tale of 2 Bible Stories: While God's Word Proclaimed Over DC, Lawmaker Caught on Cam Hiding Bibles

God's Word isn't often in the headlines, but this week it made the news in two very different ways. In one instance, the Bible was declared over Washington, D.C., but in the other case, a lawmaker sneakily tried to hide Bibles to prevent fellow lawmakers from accessing them.

A Bible reading marathon at the U.S. Capitol building concluded Wednesday. Since Saturday, volunteers had been reading through the Word of God around the clock.

Seedline International holds the annual event to "draw attention back to the Bible." 

As CBN News has reported, the event was established in 1990 by Dr. John Hash and Dr. Corinthia Boone. Then in 1994, Pastor Michael Hall and his wife, Terry, were passed the reins and oversaw the event for 26 years. Then in 2019, the Halls transferred the Bible Reading Marathon and its vision to Keith Davidson as a ministry of Seedline International.

Organizers say the tradition recognizes the Bible is at the heart of America's founding principles and it should be voiced at the heart of our nation.

State Lawmaker Caught on Camera Hiding Bibles from Her Colleagues

While the Bible was being proclaimed over our nation's capital, a lawmaker in one state was caught red-handed, doing everything she could to hide the Bible from her fellow legislators.

Fox News reports a security camera placed in the lawmakers' lounge in the Arizona state capitol captured state Rep. Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, a Democrat and ordained Presbyterian minister, removing the holy books and hiding them under two sofas in the lounge.

The camera had been placed in the lounge by the House security team after a pair of Bibles went missing. About a week later, another Bible was missing and was later found in a refrigerator, according to the outlet. 

KPHO-TV tweeted a video of Stahl-Hamilton hiding the Bibles. 

CAUGHT ON VIDEO: AZ Dem lawmaker/ordained minister busted swiping Bibles from House's members-only lounge. She calls it a ' little playful commentary' for separation of church and state, Republican leadership are not laughing. #azfamily pic.twitter.com/pSPth8jeR7

— David Caltabiano (@DavidCaltabiano) April 25, 2023

When asked by a reporter for the station why she hid the Bibles, Stahl-Hamilton quickly walked away, ignoring the reporter's questions.

Later in a statement, the Arizona lawmaker said, "Just a little playful commentary on the separation of church and state. I am a Presbyterian minister so I obviously don't have a problem with the Bible."

But Republican Pro-Tempore Speaker Travis Grantham told KPHO, "For an ordained minister to do that, again, it's nonsensical. I have no clarity as to why it happened." 

"I don't quite understand the issue of having a Bible available for members to read," he said.