Inspiration

In 1890, a young post office worker called J H Lorraine set sail for Kolkata in response to the call of God in his life.  He was joined by a recently qualified school teacher called F W Savidge.  They travelled on from Kolkata to a region in the far North East of India called Mizoram, partly on foot and partly in canoes, arriving in 1894.  Their story is an amazing one of perseverance and faith as they presented the gospel to this particular tribal grouping.  In March I travelled to Mizoram where today you will find about 90% of the population with a Christian commitment, a vitality of faith and love for God, and a heart for mission demonstrated with over 700 Mizos serving in cross-cultural mission.

There is a principle here of inspiration as we look back at the lives of ordinary people in the hands of an extraordinary God - ordinary people through whom God chooses to do extraordinary things.  Inspiration from the past seems to be of particular significance when we are facing struggles and challenges in the present.  When Lorraine and Savidge first encountered the Mizo people, they were in genuine fear for their lives in the face of this fierce tribal group.  They faced fears and struggles, but we have the benefit of looking back at their story and the stories of those who followed them to Mizoram.  Perhaps as they faced their struggles they looked back to the likes of William Carey and others who had gone before them.

More recently I have travelled to a country in Central Asia where the church number perhaps a two or three thousand in total.  As I met with the ordinary folk serving in that land in the face of struggles and opposition, I drew hope by looking back to Mizoram and holding on to the belief that God is the same today as he was then and that he continues to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.