MISSIONS AND MORAVIAN CHRISTIANS

The Christian missionaries from the West, the Europe and the North America, have brought the “Good News of Great Joy” to the while world, despite all the obstacles and difficulties, both at home, and on the mission fields. It was not easy for them, even though, it appears, Christian doctrine was sweeping and influencing everything in Europe. Yes, it was. Yet, it was not so.

Jon Stewart, writing in his book, “An Introduction to Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion: The Issue of Religious Content in the Enlightenment and Romanticism” concludes in the chapter “The Enlightenment’s Criticism of Religion: Theology” thus…
– “The thinkers of the Enlightenment wanted merely to hold firm to what they regarded as rational, while purging religion of what they took to be superstitious, childish views without foundation. After rejecting Christianity, the philosophes ended up with Deism, that is, a simple, very general belief in a Supreme Being.”

In the midst of such strong winds of sweeping change, in Europe, and in the West, many godly Christians stood firmly for God, and the gospel. All missionaries, despite their own drawbacks, were WONDERFUL and AMAZING people. Many in their churches, may not have shared the same views, and the passion, as the missionaries themselves did, for the LORD Jesus Christ, and His ministry. Yet, the missionaries, passionately pursued the call of the LORD.

Almost 300 years ago, on this very day, 18 August 1732 an emotional farewell service was organised, by the Moravian Christians, at Herrnhut, Germany. They sang 100 hymns for the glory of God, and commissioned, Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann, as missionaries, to the slaves, in the West Indies. The Moravian community at Herrnhut, was a community of a mere 600 members. Even though they were, tiny and insignificant in their numbers, it is praise worthy to note that, they sent, more than 70 missionaries, between 1732 and 1742 – about 12% of their entire population, in 10 years. HalleluYah!!!

What can we learn from these Moravians? So much!!! How passionate are we for the missions today? What percent of our Church members are being sent as missionaries? The days of westerners coming as missionaries have ended. The local churches have to pick up this responsibility. What heart do we have for missions, and the spreading of the gospel? Are we interested in gospel? May the LORD help us.