Jehovah’s Witnesses Invite the Public to a Special Talk

Well on her way up the corporate ladder, Abby Pineda, of Lafayette, traded a high-rise office and a business suit for a “priceless pearl” hidden in plain sight. She reaped physical and spiritual refreshment soon thereafter, and for years to come.

As Vice President, Portfolio Manager for a large commercial bank, Pineda enjoyed a flexible, but demanding, work schedule. However, increased appreciation for spiritual things prompted her to refocus her energy and leave her lucrative position behind. “I realized that I needed to make a change. We were created to serve our God. No career could make us happier than working for him.”

Pineda is not alone. In this time of pandemic, when many have lost the things they thought were of the highest value, some have made their spirituality a priority. They feel like the merchant in an ancient parable who found a pearl of such great worth that he sold everything he had to obtain it.

“Have You Found a ‘Pearl of High Value’?” is the theme of a global virtual event to which Jehovah’s Witnesses are inviting the community in March. In the Gospel account, Jesus Christ used the parable of the pearl to illustrate the motivating value for the truth about God’s Kingdom, the solution to mankind’s problems.

This free 30-minute program unlocks the meaning of that parable, explaining what the Kingdom of the heavens is and how that valuable knowledge can help us attain peace and a sense of security even now.

“The pandemic changed our lives within weeks, bringing the economic, educational, and social systems to their knees,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “What has not changed is spirituality and its powerful effect on people’s lives.”

That proved true for Kaya Madison, who was raised Catholic but became agnostic when she couldn’t find answers to the myriad of questions she had about God. “I was really searching,” she said.

Early in the pandemic, a coworker prompted the 23-year-old college student from San Diego to read an article about the four horsemen of the Apocalypse on jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As an aspiring writer who loved to pen the mythological and magical, Madison found the horsemen intriguing — from the charging white horse with its royal rider to the pale sickly horse saddled by a skeleton.

“I wanted my questions answered,” said Madison, who soon started studying the Bible with Witnesses every morning at 8 a.m. via videoconference. Bible prophecy came to life for her, revealing a brighter future. “I’m just happier than I’ve ever been in my life,” she said.

She was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in August 2020. Now instead of writing about myths and magic, she plans to write about something spiritual — the Biblical hope of a global paradise.

Like Kaya, Nathan Chiasson, from New Orleans, is happy he invested in the “priceless pearl” years ago.

In 2010, an opportunity to substantially increase his salary was presented. However, Chiasson turned down the offer. He shared, “I wanted to redirect my focus to more important aspects of my life, such as my ministry and my family. Since that adjustment, I have lived on a lot less money, but I have many more things in my life that make me happy.”

Instead of stress induced by financial turmoil associated with COVID-19, Chiasson experiences great joy in sharing the Bible’s message of comfort and hope with others.

“My life is full of valuable endeavors that are truly enjoyable, and I would not trade that for anything,” said Chiasson.

The presentation about the valuable pearl will be held on select dates during the first three weeks of March through local congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It preludes another event that the Witnesses are also inviting people to attend: the annual observance of the Memorial of Jesus Christ’s death on March 27.

“We invite anyone searching for peace, security, comfort and hope to attend,” Hendriks said. “The special talk and the Memorial of Jesus Christ’s death will show people how they can obtain something priceless that will make their lives better, not only now, but also in the future, even forever.”

Due to the pandemic, congregations around the world will host both events virtually. There are no fees to attend, and no registration is required.

To learn more about how to attend locally, ask one Jehovah’s Witnesses or visit www.jw.org.