Recent murder of American missionary John Allen Chau in North Sentinel Island near Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands drew the attention of people around the world. This young man just in his 20’s wanted to reach the people of Sentinel Island, went there and was killed and left on the beach.
First we should praise God that there are young men and women who still risk their lives to reach the lost for Christ. We have a generation of Christians who are lazy even to go to a worship service on Sunday Morning to their church in the same town they live. They would rather watch a TV show or play a video game or cook a barbecue. When Christianity becoming so lukewarm we are also hearing stories about young men like Chau who want to sacrifice everything for Christ.
Sadly, some people are calling Chau ‘a fool’. They said Chau should have just stayed away from those tribal people. They don’t realize that missions have been a blood soaked ministry of the church down the history. These people would have called Hudson Taylor ‘a fool’ when he embarked on his missionary journey to China. They would have called David Livingstone ‘a fool’ when he was leaving to Africa. They would have called William Carey ‘a fool’ when he stepped on a ship to India. They would have called Jim Elliot ‘a fool’ when he got killed by the spears of an Ecuadorian tribe. They would have called Apostle Paul ‘a fool’ when he was beheaded by Nero.
‘The preaching of the gospel is foolishness to the world’. John Chau became a missionary-martyr. Tertullian said, ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church’. God will use John Chau’s blood to plant a future church on North Sentinel Island.
May God comfort his parents, family and friends.