Heroes of the faith

Part 2

Stepping inside the Buddhist temple, Hudson could see men and women burning incense and praying to a large stone statue of Buddha. He watched intently. In all his life he had never seen anything other than a Christian church. And what struck him as he viewed the scene was not how different a Buddhist temple was from a Christian church, but the sincerity with which the worshippers worshipped a stone statue. If only they knew of the living God, he thought.

By the time Hudson Taylor was 17, he knew that God was calling him to take the Gospel message to the unreached people of China. He spent the next few years studying medicine and learning valuable lessons in trusting God.

On March 1, 1854, 21-year-old Hudson arrived in Shanghai ready to get started. He quickly realized that his foreign clothes, blond hair, and blue eyes were causing the locals to view him as a threat. His solution? He began wearing his hair and clothing in the common Chinese style, despite the adamant disapproval of the other British missionaries. He wanted every person he encountered to know that what he preached was not a foreign message, but a universal truth from a living God they could trust.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…

Hudson soon created his own missionary society, China Inland Mission. Hundreds more came to join in the work over the next few years. Even so, with such a large country and so many people to reach, Hudson realized they could not do it alone. He felt strongly that they were to reach locals with the Gospel, disciple them, then train them to take the message deep into China to their own people.

In light of eternity…

Despite all the difficulties, illnesses, violence, and loss, the missionaries continued on, knowing that in the light of eternity, there was no fate worse than for people never to hear the Gospel. Their own comfort came secondary to the cause of winning China for Christ.

This story is one of adventure and trust, of danger and triumph. It is the story of a man fully surrendered to God, setting aside his own preferences and devoting his life to spiritual multiplication.

What a challenge for us today!