“Is it sacrifice?” - This is the title of a book authored and given
to me many years ago by Bill Lees, who passed away just before Easter. Bill and his wife Shirley left the relative safety
and security of the UK to share the love of God with people on the remote
island of Borneo. They had returned to
the UK when I met them while studying in Reading, where they continued to
invest in young people like myself. I am
reminded of the chorus of a song that we used to sing that had the words, “I want to give my life for something that
will last forever”. This is
certainly true of Bill and Shirley.
Over recent weeks I have been
travelling in southern Africa and spending time with many folk serving with BMS
overseas and with our partners. These
are ordinary people who, like Bill and Shirley, have chosen to sacrifice much
of what the UK society says we should chase after, in order to bring light and
life to others in often harsh situations.
There are folk working in the harsh physical conditions of baking hot Chad to bring healthcare to those who would otherwise be excluded. There are others in tropical Guinea seeking to equip a minority church to make Christ known. There are others in central and southern Africa bringing their development skills to bear among people struggling to survive, with initiatives ranging from agriculture to baking cakes to justice for the marginalised (Annet Ttendo in the picture).
These folk, and others like them across the world, are investing their lives, not in personal gain, but in making Christ known. Is it sacrifice? –
Yes it is, but it is also giving lives for something that will last forever.
