Reckless Abandon (contd.)

Alfred Tennyson in his poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ talks of soldiers who would not disobey the command to charge despite knowing that the command was a big blunder and it would eventually cost them their lives. The lines go thus – “Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die…”; Yes, ours is to follow and His is to lead. Ours in not to ask “why”, and ours is not to look for reason. Ours is to do and if it requires, die. Ours is to just obey. Obedience most often is out of fashion. Jim Elliot was one of the five martyrs who died in Ecuador trying to reach the Aucas with the Gospel. Elliot, a compelling preacher and a winsome personality, could have stayed back in the US and stirred the youth of his day. Why did he go to some obscure jungle station in Ecuador where his eloquence will not matter? Did he go there to be a martyr? Did he go there to die a hero’s death? No, Sir. He was just obeying the voice of God. He went to Ecuador to be an ordinary missionary. He went there in obedience to the Call of God. Hear him say this in his journal “Impelled, then, by these voices, I dare not stay home while Quichuas perish.” He went there to do the thankless job of working among Quichua tribesmen and he ended up dying a martyr’s death. When staying back in his home country was considered wise and necessary, he would heed God’s call. It’s that recklessness in obeying God that made him look foolish in man’s eyes. Recklessness will always be looked down upon as foolishness. But recklessness in obeying God was what marked these men apart. Elliot wrote in his journal “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”. John in his camel hair attire and locust meal, pitching a tent in the wilderness; Ed Mc Cully abandoning his Law studies to preach to tribesmen in a foreign country; Stephen the star preacher faithfully distributing food; Jim Elliot walking away from a preaching career in the USA to some obscure village in Ecuador – Reckless Abandon in obedience. No questions asked. No reasons given. Yes, theirs was only to follow the call. Men of reckless abandon.