January 9, 1956
On this very day, deep in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956, five young American men were speared to death, becoming martyrs for Christ, launching a great missionary drive to share the gospel with an unreached hostile Indian tribe. What the world and Time magazine heralded as a tragic loss and perhaps a waste, God used to transform an entire tribe with the life changing message of Jesus Christ. The inspiring story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully and Roger Youderian told in Elizabeth Eliot’s book, Through the Gates of Splendor, is retold in a major motion picture entitled, The End of the Spear. A little known film company called Every Tribe Entertainment produced this movie based on the miraculous events of a love for Christ so uncommon that it is a modern day missionary triumph. Of course the triumph is the glory of the Gospel that can transform any culture, tribe or people.
In a day when most Americans are spoon fed a steady diet of revisionist histories of Christian missionaries, it is commonly held that wicked Western values are imposed on happy peaceful indigenous peoples, and that missionaries are bad hold-over’s from patronizing colonizers. Just remember the movie “South Pacific” or recent bestseller, The Poisonwood Bible, and you get the picture that missionaries are a bad idea.
Evangelical Christians need not be ashamed of the history of missions. It is not an unblemished story, but overwhelmingly it is a story of how dedicated souls have brought not only a message of spiritual salvation, but cultural advancement and many times cultural dignity and identity. Evangelical Missionaries have been at the forefront of tribal rights and preserving indigenous cultural identity. Nothing does this more than the painstaking translation of the Scriptures from an unwritten language. The Gospel transforms cannibals into loving communities of Christian tribesmen. The byproduct of the Gospel is a transformed culture not an obliterated one.
This movie may be a great opportunity to share with an unbelieving friend that there is something about the Christian message that is inexplicable except for the fact that in the words of the missionary theologian, Lesslie Newbigin, it is “public truth.” The Gospel is truth that is absolute for every time, for every person, in every culture. Truth sets us free. It is why we do missions and will continue to do so until Jesus returns. Thank God for missionaries whose lamps shine brightly the light of the gospel, may their number increase.
For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
" `I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' " Acts 13:47
2 comments:
I have come across quite a few of the arguements that "missionaries are bad because they try to force American culture into the culture of the native people", too. Even from a favorite band of mine who are big on missions, Jars of Clay. I don't really know the validity of the claim but I am sure that even if it is true that this may unfortunately happen sometimes, other times it doesnt happen and all the missionaries are focused on is showing the story and salvation of Christ.
Netflix also has the 2002 documentary, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, on streaming; which is excellent at demonstrating the transforming power of the Gospel. It is, however, graphic in it's depictions and explanations of the violence that ruled the tribe prior to their conversion. So, not for young children.
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