Tárogató, 1942-1943 (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1942-10-01 / 4. szám
16 TÁROGATÓ THE MISSIONARY AND HIS PALM TREE An ancient and slanderous caricature of the foreign missionary depicts him as a sad-faced, elongated individual in a long black coat and top hat. Thus attired he stands under a palm tree, preaching to a ring of dusky natives who apparently have a prejudice against the drygoods store. On the contrary: William Carey, one of the first modern missionaries, operated an indigo factory and ran a plantation to support his work. John Williams took with him to the South Seas a group of artisans to teach the natives the ways of civilized life. David Livingstone became Africa’s greatest explorer and tramped his way across the continent that he might open the way for honest trade as an offset to the slave traffic. Alexander Duff founded the educational system of India. Dr. Peter Parker introduced modern medicine into China. At Norway House James Evans invented the Cree Syllabic System of writing which “gave a language to half a continent.” At about the same time another Canadian, John Geddie, was reducing to writing the language of the natives in far-away Aneityum. Erank Dickinson imported the first pure-bred Holstein sire into West China. Don Faris developed new varieties of wheat and oats and fruits to improve the crops of North Honan. No! the proper picture of the foreign missionary shows him with his sleeves rolled up, helping solve the practical problems of the world! God himself cannot teach the man who is not conscious of his ignorance. There is no man so strong or so wise that he does not need the help of the weak and the ignorant. No matter how we have been trained or schooled we are all exceedingly like other people. The greatest temple ever erected in this world is that in which dwells the human soul. The knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves make us humble; the proud man knows neither God nor himself. The enjoyment of a feast depends much more upon the company than upon the delicacies which are served. The training which unfits a man to enjoy what others enjoy and suffer what they suffer renders that man unfit to take his place in life as a brother to men. Men do not object to being called sinners so long as we leave out the specification as to what kind of sinners they are. But when we call a man a liar, or a thief, or a slanderer, we may usually expect trouble. THE MISSIONARY IN THE DUGOUT “Courage is fear that has prayed”. There spring to mind the words of Tennyson, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Prayer changes fear to courage. Fear plays a large part in modern life. We do so many things because we fear. The people all over this countryside fear the unknown. They seek courage by the use of incantations and incense, even by the beating of drums. This mechanical method has nothing to do with fortifying or strengthening their inner lives. These days of life in China have taught me one thing at least—in the Christcentred life there ought to be no fear. When the bombs fall about us and on the dugout in which one has taken refuge, fear is a real thing. But it changes to a real courage by the play upon one’s life of the power of prayer. —John W. Stinson, of Tzeliutsing, Szechwan, China. —“ONWARD”. ICELAND BABY The Allied Forces in Iceland are ever on the alert for the wily enemy, but it is their pleasure occasionally to be of help to their Icelandic friends. Recently a message was received at a Coastal Command station of the R.A.F. that a baby was seriously ill in a remote village on the northern shore. Hospital treatment was urgent, and this meant a journey to Reykjavik. Could a plane be spared? There was no landing-ground near the village, but a float-plane belonging to a Norwegian squadron of Coastal Command made the journey. Baby was taken on board, wrapped in blankets, and on reaching Reykjavik harbour the R.A.F. launch was waiting to take the precious bundle to hospital. So the planes of death are, if men are wise in time, the planes of life. —“Explorer”
