From Nightmare to Awakening

As Al hopped on the train headed west, he felt good about the lessons he had learned in New Delhi. Years before, when he and his friend Jack had dreamed about globe trotting, they had imagined many exotic sights and bizarre experiences befalling them. But never had Al dreamed about learning the reality of world missions. He was starting to see the world as God saw it. However, the truth must be learned in the heart as well as in the mind, as Vinoba had intimated.

Still weak from his bout with malaria, Al had decided to travel quickly through India by train and stop only in a few major cities before going on to the Middle East and Europe. For a while, Al chatted with a turbaned Muslim gentleman. "How brave you are to travel alone," the Muslim commented.

But then the elderly fellow dozed off, and Al stared out the window. The train passed through town after town. India is a nation of towns and villages. Seventy-five percent of the populace live in India's 600,000 villages. Vinoba had told him that in northern India there was one church for every 2,000 villages (Johnstone, 218). That tragic statistic depressed him.

"Rat-tata-tata-tata . . ." the wheels clicked along the rails.

Visually, the scenery became monotonous. Spiritually, the scenery became frightening--village after village--hungry child after hungry child-- Hindu shrine after Hindu shrine--Muslim minaret after Muslim minaret-- pagan home after pagan home--eternally lost multitude after eternally lost multitude. Mile by mile, Al's heart shattered into 750,000,000 pieces.

"If the whole world were only India," he groaned to himself, "the Great Commission would still be overwhelming. Satan holds sway here unchallenged. It's as if Jesus had never died on Calvary for the sins of these people. It's as though He had never risen from the dead, never ascended into heaven, never sent His Spirit to baptize the nations. This land and so many others are famine stricken, having never heard of the Bread of Life who can satisfy the hunger of their famished souls" (F. J. Lankenau, The World Is Our Field, 1928, 7).

" 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' No way! Christ must have been deluded to think it ever could be possible. Just look at all those people! . . . No, I can't stand to! This knowledge is too awesome, too burdensome, too crushing. I can't look anymore! I won't look anymore!"

In desperation Al pressed his eyelids shut with all his might and clamped his hands over his ears to drown out the sound of the foreign tongues being spoken by his fellow passengers. How blessed it felt to escape from India for a moment, to escape from reality! After ten minutes his muscles tired of shutting out the world, so he lowered his hands from his ears, still refusing to look at the Christless Indian villages.

Eventually, he dozed off and dreamed. How vivid it was! His folks were throwing a homecoming party for him. Spellbound, everyone listened to him talk about his travels. His buddy Jack admired, "Al, you sure were courageous to leave me and go see the world alone!" How proud and brave their adulation made him feel!

"Rat-tata-tata-tata. . . "

Regaining consciousness, Al knew he was not home. He also knew that he was not brave.

"You might say I'm gutsy in a cross-cultural sort of way," he mused with his eyes still shut tight. "How else could I be enjoying this trip? But my Christian faith doesn't have a lick of courage to it. Why, I'm not even brave enough to look out the window."

Then the Holy Spirit compelled Al to look. He could not weep with his eyes shut.

"O Christ," he cried, as the Indian scenery blurred with his tears, ''the burden is more than I can bear. But it is not more than You can bear. You bore the weight of sin and hell for every one of these people I see. Help me to look, and look, and look again until I can begin to love the world as You love it."

He prayed that petition over and over as the train bustled on past the crowds for whom his Savior had willingly given His lifeblood. Al looked and looked until the truth was branded on his soul: These people were his brothers and sisters, and he and all other Christians had been brought to faith by the Spirit to love and lead these lost ones to the Redeemer.

Finally, the train reached the end of the line. As he put on his backpack, the turbaned Muslim gentleman spoke to him kindly.

"Excuse me. I noticed your tears. Are you homesick?"

"No, sir, but thank you for your concern. I've just been learning that the whole world is my home.''

"Ah. That is a good lesson, indeed. Well, good-bye. The blessing of Allah be with you, young man."

"May the blessing of Jesus Christ be with you, sir."

The Near East

Proceeding through Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, Al discovered more of the Muslim world which he had witnessed earlier in Indonesia. In the early centuries of Christianity, these lands and also all of northern Africa had been filled with thriving Christian churches. However, as time passed, these churches became lethargic and infected with false teachings. When the waves of Muslim conquest began in the seventh century, these churches fell under the menace of the Muslim sword. Only a few withstood the pressure to convert to Islam. Today they total fourteen million Christians, but many parishes are plagued by dead formalism and a survival mentality.

Al personally witnessed the grim truth of these statistics. Minarets and mosques abounded; hardly a church was to be seen. In fact, in all the 4,500 miles from Pakistan to Morocco, there are over 275,000,000 Muslims, but perhaps only l5,000 people from a Muslim background have converted to Christianity (Johnstone, 70-71). "Those are mighty slim pickings," Al mused, "when Christ commanded us to bring in a full harvest."

Although the Middle East needed God's Word and Sacraments as much as India, Al was not overwhelmed and frustrated as he had been earlier. The reason was not that he had become callous to the spiritual need. In fact, he was more sensitive than ever to these people who believe in one god, Allah, but reject the saving work of Jesus Christ and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Having begged God to give him a heart for the world, he was now able to look without wilting before the harsh reality.

Eastern Europe

[NOTE: The situation in this region of the world has changed since the fall of Communism. However, Al's adventure there reveals what life was like under that regime, and why it is still a challenge today to share Christ with those who were raised with atheistic teachings.]

Al had journeyed the length of Asia, the least Christian of all the continents. Upon reaching Eastern Europe, he expected that now things would be different. After all, Europe is the "Christian continent," isn't it?

Well, things were certainly different. Although still foreign compared to North America, the people, architecture, and language were much more familiar to Al than the many cultures he had experienced in Asia. Just as he had expected, the cities and the country landscapes were dotted with churches. Unfortunately, many of the churches in Bulgaria and Romania had been confiscated by the communist government and were being used as warehouses or museums.

While dining at a small restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, Al had a most enlightening conversation. Having finished a delicious pork stew with corn flour dressing, he was just digging into a generous slice of brinzoaica (cheese cake), when a girl about his own age approached him.

"Excuse me, sir, you are a foreigner, are you not?"

"I am an American."

"May I sit down, please?" the girl asked, seating herself without waiting for an answer, and furtively glancing around at the other tables to be sure that no one had taken notice of her action.

"Forgive my poor manners," she apologized with a whisper. "But watching you from a table across the room, I noticed that you prayed at the beginning of the meal. Are you a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ?''

After a pause Al replied, "Well, I've never said it that way before, but yes, I am."

"Praise God!" the young lady quietly rejoiced. "I am Sofica, also a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ."

"Hello, my name is Al."

"Al, my brother in the faith, do you have a Bible?"

"I have a small New Testament," Al answered in a normal voice, but Sofica signaled for him to speak softly. Half whispering, Al continued, "It's in English, not Romanian. Why do you need it?"

"Do you not know how rare the Word of God is in Communist lands? Whole shipments of legally imported Bibles have been recycled to make toilet paper (Johnstone, 357). Therefore, even an English Scripture is a treasure. When you travel from my land, you can purchase another New Testament, so would you please, out of love for God, give me yours?"

"You make it sound illegal."

"It is illegal for someone to import Bibles without a license. However, it is not illegal for you to accidentally leave your New Testament somewhere and for a Christian such as me to accidentally find it."

Amused at Sofica's interpretation of the law and touched by her need, Al said, "I will make a deal with you. I will give you my New Testament if you will take a few minutes to tell me about the church in Eastern Europe. Agreed?"

"Agreed, but the conversation must be brief. Anyone speaking to a foreigner is suspect. Throughout Eastern Europe the government bombards people with atheistic propaganda. As a result, the number of Christians has declined. However, there is an increased spirituality and commitment on the part of all those who take the risk of being a believer."

"What kinds of risks?" Al asked.

"Persecution takes many forms: loss of jobs, loss of scholarships, some Christian parents have their children taken from them, some are exiled or imprisoned, and others are committed to mental hospitals. The government pressure is intense in Romania. Informers infiltrate the churches. Pastors and church leaders are falsely accused of crimes and blackmailed."

"I know that communists are atheists. But why do they hate Christianity so much?"

"Marx taught that with the advent of communism, religion would wither and die. Communism also teaches that it will bring into being a new man, that is, people who are truly hardworking and concerned about the welfare of others. Unfortunately, they are no closer to the new-man dream now than they were at the time of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917."

"I don't follow," Al interrupted. "What does this new man business have to do with the church?"

"Communism cannot make a new man. Atheism cannot make a new man. Only God the Holy Spirit can do this. While non-Christian workers often have problems with alcoholism and the like, Christians tend to be the most dedicated laborers, who give aid and advice to those workers who are troubled. This is true in Russia, in the Eastern bloc countries, and even, we have heard, in China. Do you see? We who have been saved through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit are new men and women, and it galls the communist leaders that the power of God is doing what they cannot ever accomplish. That is why they persecute us so much."

"Now I understand why many people in my country hate the communists," observed Al.

"Hate is for the godless. The Holy One who gave His innocent blood for us commanded, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Matt. 5:44), and Saint Paul said, 'Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good' (Rom. 12:21). We shall lead our persecutors to God only by demonstrating the love of Christ."

"You are right. You are right," Al repeated thoughtfully. "Thank you for your observations, Sofica. When I walk out of the restaurant, I shall just happen to leave my New Testament on the shelf where people place their hats. But do you know something, Sofica? You hardly need a Bible, because you already have it memorized in your head."

"No, my brother, in my heart. Thank you!"

Western Europe

After traversing the beautiful land of Yugoslavia, Al crossed into free Europe. There he noted that the magnificent churches were not used as warehouses. How content he was with this pleasant change--until he attended worship in a large Lutheran church in Germany.

The Gothic structure with its beauty and grace testified to the faith of the earlier generations that had constructed the edifice to the glory of God. But inside there were only 192 people. Al counted each one, because he could not believe it--192 people echoing hymns and prayers through the cavernous emptiness of the chancel.

However, the 192 were not unfriendly. At the conclusion of the worship service, several of them attempted to speak with Al, but his four years of high school German did not help much. Then two of them, Franz and Lydia, tried their high school English on Al; and they spoke it quite well, because after all, English was only one of the four languages which they could speak.

After general conversation, Al inquired, "How many members does this church have?"

"Our parish lists about four thousand on its rolls," Lydia replied.

Sure that he had misunderstood, Al asked her to repeat the figure, but the answer came back the same--four thousand.

"Then why in the world was the attendance so poor?" Al asked.

"Poor!" Franz retorted. "This was a pretty good crowd."

"Where, then, are all the rest?"

Franz and Lydia proceeded to inform Al about the spiritual atmosphere in the state churches of Europe. A living relationship with God through Jesus Christ is something that is rarely taught or sought. Yes, there are some thriving Christian congregations, but they are a minority. Though multitudes are baptized and listed as members, active participation in the life of the congregation is not considered to be important. America has C and E Christians, that is, those who come on Christmas and Easter. In Europe the vast majority are B, C, W, and F Christians: those who assume that they only need to darken the door of the church for baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals.

During the rest of his stay in Europe Al learned more about the spiritual climate of Europe. Both atheism and the occult are gaining strength at the same time, because people who believe in nothing will be taken in by almost anything. In France, for example, there are more spiritistic mediums and fortune-tellers than there are medical doctors. Furthermore, Al was amazed to see a number of mosques, the largest situated just outside of Vatican City. Indeed, Muslim proselytizers are finding Europe a ripe field for expansion. Al had previously imagined that Europe was the Christian continent, but he saw enough to convince him that it was a post-Christian continent. "Europe needs to be re-evangelized," Al concluded. "for many people here are as pagan and as far from the kingdom of God as those I saw in Asia."

A Change of Course

The day finally arrived for Al to head home. Seated in the Paris airport with a ticket for New York in hand, he reminisced about his trek. Regretting that the adventure was about to end, his thoughts were interrupted by an announcement: "Flight 351 leaving from Gate 47. Destination: Lagos, Nigeria, with stopovers at Algiers and Monrovia."

"Flights headed for Africa?" Al questioned, digging out his map that was now as wrinkled as a magazine in a barber shop. Studying the geography, he talked to himself, as people who travel alone tend to do. "I hadn't realized that Africa was so close. Why, Nigeria is roughly half the distance to Minneapolis. It sure would be great to see Africa." The wheels of his mind whirred.

"On the one hand, I'm tired of traveling. I can hardly take in any more sights or experiences. On the other hand, when will I ever be this close again? How can I go around the world and skip the whole continent of Africa? And South America too for that matter," he added, glancing at the land mass to the west of Africa.

He weighed his options while lightly waving the ticket to New York. At that moment a dark-skinned family walked by in the corridor, and Al found himself wondering what their hometown was like.

"I'll do it!" he cried out so energetically that the woman next to him dropped her 700-page novel. As he strode to the ticket counter, he fleshed out his plan. "I'm too tired to see the whole continent, but a few countries will be better than nothing. Then I'll catch a boat for South America and at least see Brazil."

Al's story continues in Part 3 of 3.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.