In the past two weeks here at the school many people have observed me reading a book.
That book is Silence by Shusaku Endo.
As a Christian and as partly Japanese, the book caught my attention and it seemed to seem like an interesting read.
As I started the book I realized something though. This event or event similar to this actually were real and the book very much started to challenge my faith.
Honestly I don't want to expel all of what the book has to say, but I do promise that you will be uncomfortable.
It is not a light, simple read for the novelist. I strongly recommend this book for any Christian that has any desire to do missions work.
I really do want to convey the messages and lessons I learned while reading this book but what I learned was experiential and I can only say that you have to read it for yourself.
It turned my outlook totally around about the role of missionaries and the difficulties of life.
I had often thought and dwelt upon my own problems and difficulties with much focus and attention, even to the detraction of focus to other priorities, but this book really shows how one can grow closer to Christ and how the sufferings of Christ can truly comfort in the MOST trying circumstances.
---Please pick up this book if you want to grow, to be challenged or to just be humbled.
It has helped my see life and missions work more practically, and more realistically.
I once thought of missionary work today as difficult, having to leave home and go to the unknown, but a sense of security always bound me. I knew I would be able to rely on those many or few Christians that I would meet in the area I was going to.
If I went to a foreign country I could rely on the assistance of the Christians that had been there before me, or I could have some confidence in the good will of the common people to not do anything uncivilized.
But now I question, would I really choose to go be a true missionary if I didn't have these amenities and foundations already laid. What if I got to a country where anyone would jump on the chance to turn you in for a large reward? What if I got to this new mission field and there wasn't anyone there to greet me and introduce me to the culture? What if I knew everyone that went ahead of me has been captured tortured and killed? What if I knew there was going to be no return trip for me?
What if I went and the only thing I truly had was God?
I honestly don't know if I could make that sacrifice, if I could take that risk, if I could follow in the footsteps of God.
