Amy Carmichael's life bears strong witness to the deep social concern born from a heart transformed by God, as she gave her entire life towards working for just practices for children, specifically within the practice of temple trafficking, in which children were dedicated to temple gods through marriage ceremonies. Born in Northern Ireland, Amy felt a call to missions around the age of 20, and despite physical ailment, she followed this call to India, where she helped found a major healing center and worked in particular with young women who had been forced into prostitution. Her faith in the risen Jesus was rich and her prolific writings have been inspirational to generations following her into the mission field. This week's selection tells the story of a difficult and emotional time experienced by the missionaries as a widower considered the future of his infant daughter in light of her life as a temple child. The power of prayer, and the significance of confidence in that prayer, arise as Amy tells the story.
*How does the movement of God in response to prayer affect you after reading this story? What if God had not 'answered' in the way hope for by the missionaries?
*How does the Christian gospel navigate cultural differences? Is this a difficult space? What experiences have you had in various cultures?
*How do we feel called to places like the one that Amy Carmichael found herself?
**This is our last reading and reflection selection for the academic year!
Check back for updates and have a great summer!!**
Check back for updates and have a great summer!!**
3 comments:
I found the line "The true India is sensitive and very gentle. There is a wisdom in its ways, none the less wise because it is not the wisdom of the West" a challenging admission in this passage. Carmichael immediately draws a distinction between this "wisdom" and the practice of trafficing in children. However, she does acknowledge the substance of the native wisdom of a culture and religious tradition that is neither Western nor Christian. What I found interesting in her reflection was its lack of invective or aggressive critic of the Hindu tradition involved. Her patient persistence in her own faith tradition and a respectful attitude toward the father despite the tragic consequences for the child was compelling. She truly was willing to trust God and respect the dignity of the other in this circumstance. I felt a peace in her circumstances that conveyed a notion she trusted God's outcome in her prayers. She did not have to defeat the father and his tradition to "win".
I contrast this with Foster's concluding reflection which characterized Carmichael as facing an "evil belief system". How easy it is for him to criticize what he characterized as the distorted beliefs of Hinduism and slavery in Christianity (his assessment that slavery is a "distorted" expression of Christian belief would be subject to some criticism by biblical literalists). Foster wants to apply Christian imperialism as his foundational critique, disparage tolerance, and segue to suggestions of "evil beliefs". Only in the end and with few words does he finally recognize the true power of her essay--she respected the other and trusted God in prayer. She was not seeking to "win". She was seeking to be faithful.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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