The Cyclone that Hit Burma - 200 Years Ago

Yesterday I received the May 31/June 7 issue of World magazine.  On page 127 there was an outstanding article by Andree Seu entitled "Gospel Cyclone."  Recalling to mind the cyclone that hit Burma earlier this month, Seu recalled another "cyclone" that hit Burma two centuries ago through the ministry of Adoniram Judson.

Ever since I read Courtney Anderson's biography on Judson a number of years ago, he has become one of my favorite missionary statesmen from yesteryear.  Exactly 200 years ago, Judson was studying at Andover seminary right here in Massachusetts.  It was during this time that he read Puritan Thomas Boston and grew passionate in his love and service for Christ.

In her article, Seu brought back to mind some of the interesting tidbits on Judson's life -- like the fact that he started his own mission board, since there was no mission board to send him.  My uncle, Ted Fletcher, followed that same path thirty years ago.  Because he didn't have the necessary number of Bible credits required by most mission boards, Uncle Ted didn't "qualify" as a missionary with those boards.  So he started his own mission, which he started with his wife Peggy.  Their basement served as their headquarters.  Eventually, this mission of humble beginnings grew to become Pioneers, which now has 1,700 international members serving on 178 teams in 80 countries among 130 unreached people groups -- in partnership with more than 2,000 churches.  Amazing!  Only God!

Similarly, Adoniram Judson's missionary venture had a very humble beginning.  Seu sums up for us the difficulty of Judson's work:

Judson knew Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, but Burmese was a tough case.  He retained a tutor and studied 12 hours a day.  Ann [his wife] leaped ahead in fluency.  Four years later Judson held his first worship service.  He experimented with different customs for the gospel's sake (before anyone was emphasizing "contextualization").  He built himself a zayat of bamboo and thatch by the roadside.  He would sit in it and cry out in his best Burmese, "Ho!  Everyone who thirsteth for knowledge!"  The message was mostly met with total indifference.  Judson baptized one convert in 1819.  The couple's second child died.

More trials with increasing intensity challenged the faith of this young missionary.  In addition to spending 17 months in a "vermin-infested death prison," Hudson lost his wife Ann in 1826 and his third child six months later.  Just about the time he was ready to call it quits, Judson's faith was renewed when he got word from the States that his alcoholic brother had received Christ as his Lord and Savior.  When Judson died, there were 8,000 believers and 100 churches in Burma (now called Myanmar).  Today, this country has the third largest population of Baptists in the world!

May God give us the same tenacious faith as that of Adoniram Judson and other faith-filled servants of the Lord, many of whom "were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.  They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - of whom the world was not worthy" (Hebrews 11:35-38).  They were fools for Christ (1 Cor 4:10).  They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Rev. 12:11).

Thank you, Andree, for reminding us of these "heroes."  We praise You, Father, for saving us by Your grace and filling clay pots like us with Your empowering presence.  

More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!

Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee;

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!